Somewhere In Time
by KingdomKey1121
Summary: "From womb to tomb we are bound to others..." A historical/modern AU spanning 2000 years. Inspired by Cloud Atlas, involving eight different time periods. Elsanna, but not incest.
1. Say Something

_A/N: This is about reincarnation, just so everyone knows right out of the gate. Although all research and writing is mine, the idea itself was not and all credit for the idea and concept goes to my friend Botan. It's based on Cloud Atlas' plot structure (and a lot of other ideas are from it too). There is disregard of language barriers and historical gender-roles (but that's the fun part, yeah?) Also everyone will keep their names in each sliver of time, just because it's easier (albeit less legit). Anyway, let the Elsanna begin!_

* * *

**GREECE, 200 AD**

It had been a year since Anna had come upon the fair-haired girl sobbing under a tree in the olive orchard.

Anna's heart had bled for the girl when Anna's husband Kristoff forced the girl into the house and questioned her ruthlessly. Affection had swelled in Anna when, upon taking a damp cloth to the girl's dirty, bruised face, she had flinched away - whether from the pain or shame, Anna did not know. Anna had watched as the girl, shoulders hunched in submission, had spent an entire year, day after day sweeping the house, tending the children, and most of all, picking the olives from the orchard.

In all that time, Anna had not heard her say a word.

Because of this, Anna did not know the girl's name. She suspected the girl to be older, somewhat, and were she to stand upright, taller. The day she had been found and questioned by the family, Kristoff had offered her a position as a slave for their household - the girl had made no answer and it was good enough for the man. Whether or not the girl disliked her role, one could only guess; she had adamantly kept up her silence, betraying nothing but neutrality when it came to her opinion on her own circumstances. Anna appreciated the help, but tried to stay out the girl's way, as the lack of speech disquieted her. The children, on the other hand, were enamored with the girl, not bothered by the fact that she was a mute. Chasing one another through the sunny orchards hardly necessitated conversation.

As it was, on a day almost entirely a year after the mysterious appearance of the fair-haired girl, Anna decided to take a cart to Thebes, in an attempt to sell some of their yield of olives and oil at the market there. The children and the girl were to accompany her, as Kristoff had some business to attend to out in the fields. Anna didn't mind - although a just and kind man, her husband's presence created a suffocation that Anna couldn't explain. Those times when she could get away from him and truly be herself were moments of pure liberation.

It was in such a state that Anna found herself as she walked alongside the handcart of wares. Gerda, her daughter, was riding at the front of the cart, dangling her legs off and chatting happily away to the slave girl, who was pulling the cart behind her. Her younger son Kai was making laps around the cart, stopping often to explore a tuft of grass or picking a flower which, after scrambling back to the cart, he handed to his mother with a giggle. She would smile gaily and affectionately, patting him on the head in gratitude before he was off again, robe rippling in the breeze.

The heat of the sun was making Anna lazy. Her fingers trailed patterns on the wooden edge of the cart and she could feel her sandals dragging slightly in the dirt of the road, kicking up little clouds of dust as she shuffled along. She glanced over at Gerda and the girl. Anna noticed that the girl's robe was drooping in the heat, revealing a portion of her neck and upper shoulders. Sweat dripped down the labor-hardened skin. The fists gripping the cart handles were red and chafed, and the girl's brows were knit above bright blue eyes, shading them from the offending sun. Despite the obvious physical discomfort, Anna saw that the girl was smiling at her daughter's antics, stealing glances over her shoulder at the child to prove her audience's continued attention.

The girl caught Anna's curious eye during one such backward glance. She quickly snapped her head forward once more, shoulders hunching with even more exaggeration as though to shield herself from her mistress' gaze. Immediately, and not quite knowing why, Anna picked up her pace to catch the slave up. Her hand had barely brushed the girl's forearm when she yelled and flinched away, causing the handcart to lurch sideways, the wares to topple, and Gerda to cry out in alarm.

"I'm sorry," Anna breathed, regretting her decision immediately. The girl's eyes grew wide as she realized what had happened. Next thing Anna knew, the girl was on her hands and knees, hurriedly pressing her lips to the dirty hem of her mistress' robe. Sighing, Anna kneeled down as well, placing a hand on the crown of the girl's head, which stopped the lips at once. Using just the tip of her finger, she used the girl's chin as leverage to bring her gaze to Anna's - the blue eyes were brimmed with unshed tears that made Anna once more regret her actions.

"There's no need for that," Anna said, smiling as hearteningly as she could. "I am not my husband."

She let go of the chin and stood, offering a hand to the girl, who merely stared at it, not expecting such kindness. Gerda, who had been watching the proceedings attentively, giggled and said, "Take it! Take Mama's hand! It's warm!"

At the outburst, a pale hand went to the girl's mouth as she held in a laugh, then reached out with the same hand and took Anna's outstretched palm. Anna pulled her up gently, and hesitantly set both of her hands on the girl's shoulders, wishing fleetingly that she could straighten them out but the girl's history and circumstances had permanently bowed them. The girl was trying to shy away from the contact, but it only served to tighten Anna's grip on her.

"You do not need to be afraid of me," Anna said. The girl was avoiding her mistress' gaze, slumped inward and back, away from her. Anna sighed again and let the girl go, not wanting to make the situation worse and push the girl farther away. The girl appeared drained from the encounter, never having interacted with Anna in such a way. By this time, Kai had wandered over to see why they had stopped and had also been listening to the conversation. When they stopped talking, he looked intently from one woman to the other with a curiously intense expression before grabbing one of each of their hands and bringing them together. He turned to the slave girl and said matter-of-factly, "Mama wants to be your friend, like me and Gerda are."

The girl's look of astonishment mirrored the one Anna felt on her own face. The women's eyes met over the boy's head and Anna recovered enough to say, "That's right. I want to be your friend." Although the girl didn't smile, her eyes shifted and the cool hand gripped Anna's as she nodded. Anna smiled in relief at this breakthrough in the mysterious girl.

"My first act as new friend is to offer you help in pulling the cart. Will you allow me?" The girl's eyes widened, torn between the idea of her mistress performing her duties and outright denying her request; both would surely end in punishment.

Reading her like a book, Anna quickly added, "my husband will never know. It'll be our little secret," and winked at the girl, who smiled back involuntarily. Anna turned back to her son. "Want to help pull the cart with us?" He nodded vigorously, enthused at the prospect of a different kind of adventure. He ran to position himself between the handles of the cart which matched the height of the young boy's head. He reached up to grip the wooden handles and locked his gaze straight forward, ready to run an Olympic race. Anna indicated wordlessly to the girl that the two women were to each take up one of the handles from each side, giving the boy the illusion that it had been his own herculean strength that had propelled the cart to their destination.

It was in this formation, the weight of the cart distributed (albeit unevenly) between the trio, Gerda pretending that they were horses and she their roper, that they reached Thebes. The game allowed the time to pass quicker and Anna was pleased to see that even the girl seemed to be taken out of herself - her very demeanor had changed to one of mirth. Slave or no, it was difficult for Anna to witness anyone in such a profound and prolonged state of misery. As they went along, she also couldn't help but notice that the girl kept shooting her mistress glances across the cart with an unfathomable expression that Anna only identified when they had arrived in Thebes. It was of complete admiration.

At this realization, Anna felt herself flush with pleasure at what she recognized as the first good thing she was sure she had done for someone else in her whole life.

"Mama," Gerda said as the foursome entered the bustling city. The girl almost had to shout to be heard over the new noises of the crowd they had walked straight into. "Mama, why are you so red?" The blush became more pronounced at the mention and she merely said, "Oh, the sun's hot, that's all!"

"I'm tired," Kai complained as he shuffled along, hands at his sides, not even pretending to help pull the cart anymore. The party came to a halt so Anna could reach over to pick up Kai and the slave girl could slip back to her original position between the two handles.

"You are so strong and the pulled the cart so far, you deserve a break, little one," Anna said, hoisting him up to sit next to his sister, who immediately prodded and engaged him in another game.

With her children preoccupied, Anna's attention returned to the slave girl, who had already set off toward the market, pulling the cart by herself once more. Now that they were in the city, it would arouse suspicion if Anna was helping her slave with the handcart of their wares. Despite not wanting to let it on to the others, Anna had been fatigued significantly after only carrying the weight of half of it, and she now fully appreciated the girl's burden. Anna fell into step with the girl, pretending to be admiring the general splendor of the city around them, but she said out of the corner of her mouth, "Thank you. For everything. I cannot imagine how hard everything must be for you. I know you have no reason to trust me, especially after Kristoff's treatment of you, and I am not going to make excuses for my husband's behavior, but I sorely wish you would trust me at the least, because I honestly do wish to be your friend." The girl wasn't looking at her, but Anna could see the corners of her mouth twitching as she continued.

"I respect your silence as well, but sometimes I would like some confirmation that you understand, that you are even listening and that I am not rambling to myself." Anna was beginning to get worked up now; she could feel the frustration from her unsatisfying marriage and the years that lacked emotional human connection bubbling up inside of her. She didn't notice that in her irritation her hand had fallen to grip the nearest cart handle inches away from the girl's.

Anna sighed. "I don't even know your name."

A surprisingly cool and rough hand gently set itself atop Anna's where it rested on the handle.

"Elsa," said a small voice.

Anna's head snapped to the girl's, eyes meeting the blue that now glinted with another unrecognizable emotion - determination?

"W-what?"

The girl took a shaky breath.

"My name - is Elsa."


	2. Marching On

**ITALY, 1160**

The wind that blew in icy gusts of wintry force outside of the small tavern did nothing to dampen the spirit inside. Nevertheless, the gale could be distinctly heard over the drunken hubbub. Warmed by a fire, many close bodies, and alcohol, the crowd was content to sit and be loud rather than venture to the storm outside.

The innkeeper was himself drunk - so drunk, in fact, that he had ceased demanding compensation for the beer that he was readily providing for the entire tavern. He didn't seem to mind (and neither, especially did his customers) but his fiery, redheaded daughter certainly did, as she had spent a greater portion of the day brewing it herself.

After clearing a spill from under a table of raucous farmhands (one of whom had tried to get handsy with her, to which she responded with a hearty slap across the face), Anna spotted her father filling up another pint for a man who was smiling maliciously. Picking up her skirts and setting her face in the most intimidating scowl she could manage, she strode over to the counter and snatched away the beer as her father was about to hand it over to the man.

"Papa," Anna said in exasperation. "You can't give away our whole keg." The man blinked at his daughter blankly, not cognizant of what she was saying, or even what was happening.

"That's mine-" the man across the counter said, trying to lunge for the mug in Anna's grip.

"No, Hans," she spat, finally recognizing her neighbor with an edge of disdain. "You've had enough."

"You're going to waste it," he growled, snatching at it again as she held it at arms length.

"I beg to differ," she said, and without another word, tipped the mug to her lips and chugged the entire pint as Hans looked on in dejection at the loss of a perfectly good drink. When she had downed it all, she slammed the empty, foaming mug on the counter, letting out her breath in a satisfied hiss. Hans stared at the mug in disbelief, then threw Anna a look of disgust before taking his leave.

Anna watched as he threw his cloak over his shoulders and headed for the door - but it opened before he was three feet away. A horrible, bitter cold swept through the tavern - all talk was hushed, the fire was buffeted by the draft and all eyes were immediately fixed to the white figure silhouetted on the threshold. Hans cringed as the stranger pushed roughly past him, causing the farmer to stumble back against a nearby table.

Anna gasped when the white figure stepped into the light and her father voiced in wonder the thought that had been frozen at the tip of her own tongue: "A Templar Knight."

Though covered in snow, there was no mistaking the uniform - heavy chainmail, white mantel painted with a crimson cross, metal helmet, silver sword glinting at the leather belt.

They were in trouble if a knight was here. The Templar Knights were forbidden from many things - eating, drinking, socializing - or so Anna had been told. She had heard many terrifying stories of the vicious training undertaken by such knights, which transformed them into bloodthirsty warriors who were ordered never to accept defeat or give up their positions on the battlefield, to kill until every enemy was slain or until they themselves had fallen. The wars were waging worlds away. What was this lone knight doing here of all places?

No one had moved at the knight's arrival except Hans, who wasted no time, once the knight's back was turned, to finish his exit, slamming the heavy wooden door behind him. The knight seemed not to notice this noise, and without further ado, and with encumbered steps, he lumbered straight over to Anna and her father behind the counter. Anna watched, heart in her throat, as he approached and sat down heavily on a stool, snow melting and dripping down from the uniform and onto the floor below. She took this gesture as a sign that they weren't in any immediate trouble after all, but with her father's reputation she knew the idea hadn't been impossible.

"Hiya," she said tentatively. In response, the knight merely pointed a hefty gauntleted hand at the keg behind her, indicating that he desired beer. Anna found this request odd, as she assumed Templar Knights didn't drink, but obliged him anyway, more frightened than curious at his behavior.

The crowd occupying the remainder of the tavern was gradually returning to the volume it had held before the the appearance of the knight. Anna quickly filled a pint and placed it before him. As she did so, she took in the sight of the ornate red and blue jeweled handle of the sword tied to the knight's belt and she thought fleetingly how expensive it was and how many enemies it had run through. In receipt of the beer, the knight reached into his mantle and brought out a coin pouch that was strung around his neck. He turned the pouch upside down and the counter was littered with silver coins of different shapes and sizes.

"Oh, no," Anna said, waving her hands in front of her. "That's too much, it's just a pint-" but her father was already sweeping the coins off the edge of the counter and landing them in his other palm. Before Anna could stop him, he had gathered up all of the money and scampered away, giddy.

"Sorry about him," Anna said, worried that her father's blatant greediness might be cause for trouble. Fortunately, the knight only shook his helmeted head, tucking the empty coin pouch back beneath his mantle. He then took two of his gloved fingers and pointed them straight down on the counter, then gestured behind him to the door and the storm raging outside.

Anna studied him curiously, not understanding. The knight tapped two of his fingers once more on the counter.

"Here?" Anna began teasing out the riddle, suddenly enthused by the game, no matter how frightening her playmate. He nodded and pointed to the stairs, then to the door to the kitchen beyond which her father had disappeared.

"You… you need a place to stay?" The knight nodded. "Here?" Another nod of affirmation, and then he was pointing at the kitchen once more. When Anna didn't get it, the knight pinched his thumb and forefinger together.

"That money pays for more than the beer!" Anna exclaimed, finally understanding. The knight slammed his open palm upon the counter, making Anna jump in alarm. The knight hadn't noticed that he had startled the girl, because he had reached up to open the bottom portion of his helmet so he could finally taste the beer that Anna had poured for him.

That was the first strange occurrence that Anna observed.

The chin that the knight had revealed was surprisingly small and completely smooth - not even the slightest hint of beard or stubble resided there. As for the lips (Anna only got a glance before the rim of the mug was upon them), they were rosy and full, nothing like the kind of lips a battle-hardened warrior should have.

The knight chugged the entire pint in one go, much like Anna had done earlier that evening, and it struck Anna how odd it really was that the knight had not seen to the removal of his helmet, not to mention the lack of conversation.

Within seconds, the empty mug was returned to the counter and the bottom part of the helmet was once more covering the strange mouth. Anna grabbed a dirty rag, and began cleaning a mug behind the counter, pretending that she had not just been staring down the knight shamelessly. She had started on a second mug when she heard another loud thump and she jerked her head up to see that the knight had once more hit his palm to the counter. Once he had her attention, he stood, still dripping from his excursion outside, and gestured toward the staircase.

"Oh! Yes, let me set you up in your bed," Anna said, throwing down the rag and hurrying around the counter.

That was when Anna observed the second strange occurrence.

The knight, though hefty and formidable, was only a few inches taller than Anna herself, and she had not known many men who could give claim to such a height.

Ignoring the suspicions that were creeping up on her, she led the knight up the stairs and into the door on the first landing - she knew it was vacant because her father had not had a lodger in months. Their only customers already lived nearby and if any of them did end up staying the night, they slept right at the tables until their wives came around in the morning to find them and scold them all the way home.

The small room contained two small straw beds at either corner, a stubby candle sitting in between them.

"It's all yours," Anna said, holding open the door for the knight to step through. "Well… goodnight then." The knight grunted his thanks and the door shut right in Anna's face as she quickly backed out of the room. Somewhat disgruntled, she headed back downstairs to find her father and begin to encourage the men to go home.

Hours later, the place had finally calmed to a respectable volume. A majority of the men had been ushered out and stumbled home through the snowstorm, and the ones remaining were fast asleep, snoring softly. The remains of the fire were glowing dimly, and a draft was starting to pick its way through the cracks in the wooden walls. Anna was fighting exhaustion as she meandered through the tavern, collecting mugs and pushing in stools. She emptied the last of the keg into two mugs and took them to the kitchen where she found her father sleeping soundly on the floor. She tended to leave him where he ended up, but she still liked to know that he was safe.

She grabbed the bowl of freshly-picked olives she had obtained from the market that morning, as well as a rough-hewn cloth that could serve as a blanket. With these supplies, she made her way upstairs. It was well past midnight but she could see light from a single flame flickering beyond the knight's door.

Overtaken by curiosity once again, she silently approached the door and listened for any sounds. She heard soft, measured breathing that indicated that the occupant was asleep. Not knowing what had exactly gotten into her, Anna gently unlatched the wooden door and pushed it open just wide enough for her lithe frame to slip inside. The small candle on the floor sent a dim light over the knight on the straw bed, and Anna's eyes were immediately fixed to the sight.

That was the third and final strange occurrence.

The knight had finally removed his helmet - he was sleeping on his side to face the wall, away from Anna. The long, braided hair that spilled over the top of the chainmail and pooled in silvery tangles onto the straw bed was the most beautiful sight Anna had ever beheld.

Entranced, Anna quietly set down the supplies in her arms and moved closer, kneeling beside the uniformed figure. She had barely extended a hand to touch the fine locks when a rough gauntlet grabbed her wrist and before Anna knew it, a blade was upon her throat, the knight having twisted in one swift motion to face her.

The knight was most definitely a woman. Blue eyes burned into Anna's and she watched as they shifted through an array of emotions - rage, pain, terror - and finally landed on bewilderment.

"What do you want?" she asked in an aggressively husky voice, not dropping the blade.

"Um, I- I brought-" Anna was beyond words, so she flicked her eyes over to the supplies she had deposited on the floor near the door, and back again. The blue eyes traced the path, and returned to meet Anna's once more. The grip on Anna was still not loosened.

"You know my secret," the woman said plainly.

"I won't tell a soul!" Anna squeaked, for the first time becoming more intrigued than frightened, despite the blade at her throat. "I promise!" The blue eyes were boring into Anna's, but they must have witnessed truth in them, as Anna was released a few seconds later, and they both backed away from each other. There was a silence as Anna watched the mysterious woman replace the dagger into the belt that was still looped around her waist.

"If anyone is let on, I will not hesitate to kill you," the woman warned, and Anna nodded vigorously. "Well?" she prompted when Anna did nothing. "What have you brought?" Anna started and scrambled over to retrieve the supplies.

"Olives," Anna said, handing the bowl over, "more beer," setting the mug down on the floor beside the bed, "and a blanket, it's cold."

The woman blinked at her, expressionless. "How much more is this going to cost me?"

"Nothing!" Anna said brightly, glad the woman hadn't outright rejected her offering. The woman stared for another moment before picking up an olive and popping it into her mouth.

"Thank you," she said around the food in her mouth and Anna's smile widened.

"You're welcome!" A pause. "I'm Anna, by the way."

The blue eyes glanced at her and away again. "Elsa."

"Where are you from, Elsa?" The woman choked on the sip of beer she had just taken. Wiping her mouth on her gauntlet, she said, "I don't really want to talk about myself."

This didn't deter Anna in the slightest. She presently launched into a complete history of her peasant ancestry, which had no importance, but the way she talked made one believe that it had been a line of powerful noblemen. By the time Anna was done, the olive bowl and Elsa's mug were completely empty, and the woman was leaning back against the wall, listening intently.

"That's about it!" Anna finished with a flourish. She noticed the empty bowl and giggled, saying, "You sure were hungry!"

"I don't get a lot of sustenance on the road. I often ride through the night, without pausing to rest."

Anna cocked her head to the side at this admittance. "Where are you in such a hurry to get to?"

"The wars. I'm riding all the way south and taking a ship to the east."

Anna waited for more information but Elsa didn't continue. "You're going to fight?" Elsa nodded. "But you're a woman!"

"What does that matter? I can do whatever I like." Anna felt concern ghosting over her. Concern? For a woman she had met mere hours ago.

"But… it's dangerous. You'll probably be killed."

"I don't care, I'm leaving in the morning and no one can stop me."

Anna was overcome with a senseless sadness.

"Won't someone miss you?"

"There's no one to miss me."

Anna wasn't sure why, but she suddenly felt such a strong attachment to the strange woman in this knight's uniform that she wanted to tell her that Anna would miss her - but what a ridiculous thing to say. The candle beside them had almost burned to the quick and the room was darker and colder than ever. "Well," Anna said, letting out a breath of concession, "I should go. It's late, you need sleep for your journey, and obviously nothing I can say will make you rethink your decision…" She was gathering her skirts when a delicate, slender, and distinctly ungloved hand stopped her from moving, coming to rest lightly on Anna's forearm.

"Wait…" Anna sat back down in an instant, seeing the look of doubt that had settled upon Elsa's face. Enigmatically, Anna was pleased for the interruption of her departure. "I…" Elsa struggled for words. "I haven't told you _why_ I'm fighting."

"That's right," Anna said, settling back down to the floor, chin coming to rest upon a freckled fist. "Why are you fighting?"

"My brother is dead." Anna's heart sank. "He was a Templar Knight. He died in battle. This uniform is his. I'm avenging his death. He's all I had." The short, clipped sentences where all Anna needed to distinguish the pain and grief Elsa was trying to conceal.

"I'm so sorry," Anna said. At the same time, she was awed by the woman's strength and determination.

"It's not your fault - it's mine," Elsa said, turning away her face as the tears began to run down her cheeks. A shaky hand came up in an attempt to stem the flow.

"Oh, don't," Anna said, hurriedly crawling over the bed to sit against the wall with the knight who wasn't a knight and pulled the sobbing woman into a tight embrace. "Let it all go." Anna rocked Elsa like a child, the woman's fair head tucked beneath Anna's chin. She was not bothered in the least by the cold, damp chainmail and rough mantle that was settled against her. "It was not your fault," Anna murmured, not even knowing the details and circumstances of the brother's death.

They sat thus for an interminable amount of time until finally the blue eyes had dried and hardened. Elsa pulled away and slumped back against the wall and closed her eyes, resuming her independent demeanor. Anna, having none of that, tangled her fingers with those of the other woman and leaned to rest her head against the woman's shoulder.

"See?" Anna said, stifling a yawn. "Everything's going to be all right." Elsa hummed softly. "Please tell me you won't leave. That you won't fight."

Silence.

"Please?"

They sat quietly for a few minutes before the woman cracked open an eye to look upon the redhead. "Maybe." But Anna was already asleep, and soon Elsa too allowed herself to sink under, warmer tonight then she had been in months and would be for a long time after.

The next morning, Anna woke up horizontally on the straw bed with the blanket she had brought up carefully laid over her. She was alone - Elsa had gone. Anna was almost overcome with despair for the woman until she saw the lone olive standing upright in the bowl and the sight of it gave her hope.


	3. Goodbye, Apathy

**PARIS, 1340**

Elsa had come upon many a beggar during her beat of the city's cobbled streets. They would swarm like gnats as she passed, dirty hands scrabbling at her billowing cape. They would hiss ragged pleas in her face and curse when she pressed on, offered nothing. One vagrant was much the same as any other. It came, then, as an uncomfortable surprise when Elsa was suddenly faced with compassion for one.

The day had begun quite like any other. Elsa woke in the barracks at the crack of dawn. She took care, as she always did, to dress in precise sequence: breeches, shirt, boots, chestplate. As usual, she buckled the sword with the red and blue jeweled handle around her waist and secured her blue cape last.

She then took to rousing her men, slamming a gloved fist on each headboard, going down the line, entreating them to rise. Boots clicking the hard floor, Elsa paced between the beds, shouting orders and reprimands, dealing blow after vocal blow until each guard was ready to herald the new day - to terrorize the city with unflinching justice. They marched out in well-trained order, polished armor gleaming in the early morning sun. The night watch gradually stumbled into the barracks and fell heavily upon the newly emptied beds as the next outfit relieved them of their positions out in the city.

Before Elsa could take to the streets herself, she had a report to file on the execution of a gypsy that had transpired the day before. She settled at her desk, firmly upright and dipped a quill into her inkpot, ready to lay line after line of perfect, orderly prose thick onto the parchment in front of her. With consternation, however, she perceived the lack of substance in the inkpot, her systematic morning churning to an unbearable halt. Elsa blinked, perplexed, at the tip of the quill which lacked the black liquid that would be, under normal circumstances, suspended from it.

The Captain of the Guard let out a frustrated huff, setting her palms on the table and pushing out the chair with a scratch as she stood, the end of her sheathed sword clanking as it hit the seat. She was out of the door and into the streets within seconds, cape sweeping behind her as if in direct compliance to her agitation.

Her spirits lifted somewhat as she began to wind her way through the peasant throng of the bustling streets. Sun had that effect on her - she often spent much of her time in dungeons talking to criminals or in the barracks penning endless reports.

Thankfully, because of her standing, as well as her domineering presence, the sea of civilians parted easily for her as she marched purposefully to her destination - the shop she knew she would find her badly needed pot of ink. Out of habit, her narrowed eyes meticulously scanned her surroundings, taking in the dilapidated buildings still dripping from the last summer rainfall. She saw the faces - pale and clammy, red and pouched, some with mouths pulled infinitely down, some whose very existence seemed to seep sensitivity.

All of this Elsa passed, thoughts wandering idly, until a flash of red caught her attention.

It was a girl - a beggar, by the looks of the rags swathed around her thin frame. Her messy red hair was tied in twin braids that hung limply on either side of her freckled face. The girl was holding what looked like a piece of bread in a hand from which glinted a silver ring, and the other was being held tightly in the clutches of one of Elsa's men.

Elsa paused in her jaunt to watch the proceedings, wondering why she was so interested in an occurrence that she would ordinarily let unfold without a second thought.

"You stole that bread, thief!" Elsa could hear the guard perfectly, though he was facing away from her.

"No, I bought it!" The girl had courage - she was staring down the guard, anger marring her features. The guard shook her roughly and pulled her closer. Elsa saw the girl turn as far away as she could in disgust when she found herself in such close proximity to the man.

"Don't you lie to me," the guard spat in the redhead's face, making her flinch away.

"Let me go!"

Elsa's legs, without her realizing, were taking her straight to the pair. Just as the guard had wrapped his free hand around the girl's waist, pulling her flush up against his own body with a smirk, Elsa spoke up.

"Lieutenant!" Both faces turned to her in abject shock. Then the guard registered who had spoken and snapped immediately to attention with a curt, "Captain!"

The girl, although finally released, did not move. Instead, she stared Elsa down, defiance in her eyes, waiting for another attack - almost challenging Elsa to advance. Elsa met her gaze steadily, taking in the sight of the girl. She was almost as tall as Elsa herself, and stood with a straight back, jaw clenched, eyes shining.

"What is your name, girl?" Elsa said, not knowing what else to say.

"Anna," she said, taking an aggressive step forward. At the movement, Elsa once more noticed the plain silver ring on her hand. "Did you steal that ring too?"

If possible, the girl's face hardened even more. "I haven't stolen anything."

Elsa examined her for a few more seconds before turning away and waving a hand carelessly, indicating that the girl was dismissed.

Without hesitation, Anna turned on her heel and scampered away. She disappeared as she turned down an alley up ahead. Inkpot completely forgotten, Elsa went in haste to follow the girl, throwing an "at ease" to the guard who still stood at rigid attention behind her.

Elsa had just reached the mouth of the alley and spotted the redhead at the other end before she disappeared again down the next street. With alacrity, but making sure to keep a safe distance, Elsa continued to shadow the beggar girl until the city opened up to the Seine. Elsa hovered at the corner of a nearby building as she watched Anna climb lithely over the low wall that separated the street from the drop off down to the river. Her red head disappeared once more as she clamored down the slope and Elsa took the opportunity to approach the wall tentatively, not wanting to be caught spying.

She peered over the wall and saw, to her astonishment, a group of seven or eight urchins at the edge of the bank. Upon seeing Anna approach, they let out a visible cheer and flocked to her. Smiling widely, she took the bread and broke it into meager bits which she passed out to the hungry crowd around her. Small hands grabbed at the bread, and Anna patted each disheveled head affectionately when the feast had been handed out. Elsa, despite herself, felt her heart break at the sight.

That night, after the inkpot had been purchased and the report finally written, Elsa allowed herself a few minutes' reflection on the events of the day, particularly those involving the redheaded beggar named Anna with a temper to match her hair, towards whom Elsa had developed a bizarre empathy.

As she mused, the candle at her desk cast a warm yet eerie light over her work space and snoring could be heard from the bunks around the barrack. A tired hand made its way to Elsa's eyes, fingers pressing into them as though to rid her lids of the image of the redhead's defiant eyes that had disagreeably burned itself there. Finally, the thoughts were pushed and locked away to a corner of the captain's mind and she readied herself for bed in preparation for yet another day.

The strange thoughts continued to remain locked away for quite some time. Two months had passed since the incident involving the redheaded beggar had elicited rare sympathy from the hardened Captain of the Guard. It was early August when Elsa received a letter announcing yet another execution that she was obligated to oversee. Her mind drifted as she skimmed over the particulars, not wishing to dwell, and soon refolded it and shut it deep within a drawer of her desk. The hanging was to occur at sundown the next day and Elsa was to question the captive that same morning.

For reasons Elsa could not fathom, she slept fitfully that night, a deep unease settling within her. The morning too brought an unpleasant feeling that something was terribly wrong. It wasn't until she descended the cold dungeon steps to the captive's cell and saw who was inside that she realized the reason for her disquiet.

It was the beggar girl, Anna. She sat on the floor against the wall, hugging her scabbed knees to her chest. Elsa's heart sank at the sight, and she inhaled sharply. The girl gave no indication that she realized her cell had a visitor. Elsa turned to the guard that had escorted her down, struggling to keep her voice sharp and commanding.

"Crime?"

"Robbery, Captain."

"This warrants a death sentence?"

"It happened one too many times, Captain."

Elsa could only nod.

"This was the only possession found on her person." The guard dropped a plain silver ring into her palm. Elsa closed it in her fist and said, "Leave us."

The guard snapped to attention for a moment before turning on his heel and stalking away. Elsa focused her attention back to the cell, catching the girl staring. Anna, upon being caught, quickly looked away again, fixing her gaze on the damp wall opposite.

"What have you stolen this time?" Elsa questioned, still struggling to keep up her imposing persona but withering nonetheless in the girl's presence.

"I didn't steal anything!" the girl huffed angrily.

"Was it for those urchins you take care of?" Elsa continued, watching the girl closely. For the first time, the captain saw fear flicker across the redhead's face.

"W-what?" she stammered. Just as quickly as it had come, the fearful expression was gone and replaced by mistrust and suspicion. "Have you been following me?"

Elsa fixed the girl with a stare, unsure of how to answer. When she took too long to respond, Anna said, "Are you going to take them away too? Isn't my life reward enough for you?"

Elsa felt as though she had been slapped. Even though the Captain of the Guard personified justice and mercilessness, the idea of Anna assuming Elsa alone had made the decision to end the girl's life for a petty crime was unbearable.

"You're all the same," Anna said with pure loathing.

Elsa could think of nothing else to say - she had been silenced by a beggar. She made an about-face and practically sprinted up the stairs, face stinging with shame. Never in her life had she run from an enemy, and yet here she was fleeing from a defenseless girl behind bars. What was happening?

Elsa found she was completely useless over the course of the day as she fearfully counted down the time until sundown. When finally she was called upon to report to the square for the execution, she walked with legs of lead and lungs of stone.

It was in a daze that Elsa watched the girl from her position ten yards away be led in chains to the hangman's platform and the noose secured around her delicate neck. Before Elsa knew it, the sentence had been read and the drum was thundering. The executioner gazed over at her expectantly. As Captain of the Guard, she was to raise her sword and orchestrate the pull of the lever with its descent. She swallowed, a hand reaching across her torso to grip the hilt of her sword. She could feel the rise of the red and blue jewels under her fingers.

Elsa looked at Anna, all alone, noose draped lazily around her neck, and met her gaze. It was, as ever, full of fearless defiance.

The Captain made her decision.

Instead of unsheathing the sword to raise it, she tightened her grip on it's hilt and recklessly sprinted headlong at the platform and the girl upon it.

* * *

_A/N: Oh, the suspense! A reviewer asked me if this was only going to be eight chapters and my answer is no... but that's all the answers you're getting for now! Hope you guys liked Elsa's POV. I'm trying to update regularly but being an English major means lots of writing for school and not for leisure... so we'll just play it by ear. Thanks for the support!_


	4. Stop and Stare

**LONDON, 1620**

A deafening "boo" of discontent was thundering from the pit of spectators down below. It was, Elsa hoped, the result of the play itself and not the performance quality of the unfortunate actors caught in the onslaught onstage. In the din, a rotten tomato hit the wall behind her, missing her head by inches. Startled, she inched toward the curtain and the safety of the darkened backstage, but was encumbered mightily by the large wooden ox costume she was at the moment suited up in. Kristoff, leading man as usual, was still heralding his lengthy monologue with bravado, despite the audience's obvious dissatisfaction.

Elsa continued to slowly back out of the scene, content to quit the show right then and there. She was a metre away from glorious withdrawal when Kristoff was hit squarely in the face with another rancid fruit, stopping the actor in his dramatic tracks. A roar of laughter rose from the crowd as they watched the mess slowly slip down his face and land with a wet plop on the stage. Cheeks burning, he turned on his heel and stormed off, straight past Elsa without a backward glance. Left alone onstage, she nervously glanced at the audience, eyes full of murderous intent. She quickly sucked in a breath and let out her last and final bray as the ox, and took her leave as well. Once safely behind the curtain, she came upon Kristoff shouting at their troupe manager, Sven. She watched the proceedings as she began to shed her burdensome costume.

"We cannot perform this rubbish for the King if the general public cannot even stand it," Kristoff said heatedly, hardly audible over the sheer volume of the scorn that could still be heard from the house. His face still had angry streaks of fruit dripping from it.

"Kristoff," Sven said, pacifying his lead. "We have nothing else rehearsed and ready. It is not horrible, this lot would not know a joke if it was cooked into their suppers."

"I agree with Kristoff," Elsa piped up, hopping on one foot to remove a wooden shoe in the shape of a hoof. "Do not make us, please." At this, she gestured with the shoe she held to the rest of the company, all of whom sat dejectedly about the backstage area.

"Calm down, all of you," snapped the manager. "How often are troupes other than the King's Men invited to a private performance for the Court?" Twelve pairs of eyes stared at him blankly, lacking any trace of enthusiasm.

"Exactly!" he said as though they'd all agreed with him. He straightened his doublet and smoothed out his beard before braving the stage to inform the uncooperative crowd that the show was at an end and to bid them goodnight. More cries of outrage followed this announcement, as the fools were but twenty minutes later, the pit was deserted and the nobleman and their wives were taking their time climbing down from their perched seats in the gallery. Sven was engaging them in small talk and big apology as they exited the theatre, never for a moment dropping his sleazy demeanor.

Elsa and the rest of the company were meandering lazily throughout the house, dousing the candles and lamps that illuminated the stage. None of the them were looking forward to the following day in which they were to present the abysmal play to the King's Court. It was, without question, not an event any of them (save Sven) were ready for.

Once the last of the gallery had gone, Sven forbade the company from going out to the pub as they usually did after a show, with the argument that they needed their rest for the day ahead. After saying goodnight to their manager, most of the thespians sneaked out to drink nonetheless. Kristoff, on the other hand, was too ashamed of their failure to face anyone and Elsa was obligated to return him to his bed.

He moaned pitifully about the show's shortcomings as they walked and Elsa allowed her mind to drift to more pleasant thoughts, nodding at intervals to fein her attention. It was from this state that Elsa was distracted by a woman walking on the opposite side of the road, in the other direction. She wore a gallery bodice and neck ruff, her red hair was braided into an elaborate hairstyle that was piled tightly atop her head. The most abnormal part of this sight was that the woman was alone, no escort took her arm. The streets were dark and pickpockets abounded, yet the woman strode purposefully down the road, head high and eyes anchored before her.

The woman didn't look over and Kristoff continued rambled, so Elsa averted her gaze and had soon forgotten about seeing the woman at all. Elsa helped her friend to his door before patting his arm comfortingly and heading home herself. She collapsed carelessly onto her bed, not even bothering to undress.

The next morning passed in a haze of distress and anxiety. Wondering blandly how she had even gotten herself into this situation, she met the rest of the troupe at the theatre to collect the costumes and properties so they could transport them to the castle. It took another actor in addition to Elsa herself to carry her ox outfit because of its weight. Sven was flitting around them all, giving orders that went unheeded. Kristoff had uncharacteristically taken a vow of silence, breaking it only to explain to Elsa that he needed full mental synchronization in order to be in character that day. Elsa left him to it.

Finally, the company was assembled and they set off, burdened by their articles of theatricality. The short excursion was laced with regret and longing to renounce the quest they hadn't even chosen to join in the first place. Their arrival at and admittance into the castle went without trouble and in no time the troupe was morosely setting up the play in the large, shining chamber in which the King held Court. Beginning to encase herself once more in her ox costume, Elsa tried not to dwell on the intimidating throne at the far end of the hall.

Presently, the ensemble was ordered to line up as the King and Court filed in, necklines high, bodices tight, breeches flared. Elsa's view was slightly obstructed by her costume, which was just as well, as she had no desire to look upon her audience in the least. With a pang of panic, she felt herself begin to perspire in her wooden prison.

After a quick introductory speech by Sven, the play was underway.

"_Thou art he whom morality and vicissitudes_..."

Elsa could already feel the stifling boredom thickening in the chamber at the first soliloquy. Kristoff seemed to be the only cast member who was taking the performance to heart and Elsa was proud of his fortitude despite herself. The Court, a more reserved audience than those they've had before, sat stoically through the crippling dullness of the play. To Elsa's amazement, she even drew a chuckle from them during her big braying exit.

At the conclusion of Kristoff's final monologue, they politely applauded and immediately stood to depart; the King was the first gone without a backward glance. Sighing with relief, the company packed up and left. There was now only one thing the spent troupe had yet to do; become incredibly drunk. The time it took to return the costumes and properties to the theatre didn't even compare to that which it took to bring it to the castle; not with the promise of a pitcher of ale spurring them on.

They haphazardly deposited the articles at the theatre and were arriving at their favorite pub before Sven could reprimand them for their carelessness.

Elsa, in high spirits, bought Kristoff a pint, congratulating him. Three ales later, he bought _her_ a pint and the rowdy thespians roared with laughter at the fair-haired actor, who was entirely convinced he was doing Elsa a kindness instead of merely repaying her. In drowsy intoxicated affection, she grabbed his face and kissed his cheek in thanks, holding up her fourth ale in triumph before chugging it back as the pub exploded in cheers. Elsa grinned lazily, sitting down on Kristoff's lap as he touched his cheek in confusion.

Several hours and innumerable ales later, Elsa and Kristoff stumbled raggedly out of the pub, intent on going home but incapable of deciding which way home was. Elsa giggled uncontrollably as Kristoff pointed down the street over her head, slouching to rest his body weight upon her head.

"It must be yonder," he drawled and Elsa shoved his arm away. "Sure," she responded, but pulled him in the direction nonetheless.

They walked unsteadily for a time, hiccuping and chuckling randomly, dizzy. Eventually, Elsa perceived (even in her drunken state), once more a figure making its way down the opposite end of the street. Elsa lurched to a stop and Kristoff, who was hanging onto her arm for balance, almost fell over. She thought groggily for a moment before shoving Kristoff to the ground where he immediately leaned against a building and closed his eyes with a loopy smile. Without another thought, Elsa strode across the road, intercepting the woman as she passed. Dark red eyebrows raised in suspicion as the same woman from the night before came to a halt, Elsa blocking her path.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Elsa said slurring slightly. "I wondered why a finely dressed woman as yourself was wandering the unforgiving London streets at this hour, by her lonesome."

Elsa tried to look into the woman's face, but it persisted in shifting in and out of focus.

"You are familiar," was all the redhead said.

Elsa reached up to grab the messy braid that was slung over the actor's shoulder, using the tug on her hair to keep her upright and conscious.

"Can't imagine how," Elsa said.

"Wait." The woman cocked her head to one side, eyes suddenly glowing. "You were in the play today - the one about the loquacious herdsman and his ox - the one performed at Court."

Taken aback, but grinning all the same, Elsa felt herself redden. "I was the ox," Elsa said sheepishly. The blush on her pale cheeks deepened when she realized, "You were there?"

"I was," the woman said, amused by Elsa's countenance. "My husband holds a place at Court."

Elsa nodded, eyes dropping in sudden reverence. The redhead added, "You have a splendid bray," and laughed kindly.

"Th-thank you," the actor stammered, looking back into the woman's face. The eyes she found were kindled with mirth.

"I thought it a lovely diversion, so much so, in fact, that I entreated my husband at once to allow me to attend the next performance on the morrow."

Elsa sobered abruptly at this statement, beaming with a new-found pride of her profession.

"Yes," the woman went on, "express to your manager that Lady Anna approves of his comedy very much."

She winked slyly at Elsa and the actor felt her stomach drop inexplicably.

"In the meantime, you had best attend to your friend over there - he must have the ability to perform, you see. Remember, I will be in attendance, and I will not tolerate disappointment."

With that, Lady Anna swept past Elsa and was swallowed by the night. The actor swayed on the spot, extremely happy, until she came to her senses. Shaking her head, hoping to clear it, she went over to kick her friend awake and haul him up from the grime of the road. Some time later, they finally stumbled back to Kristoff's home and she made sure he was snoring heavily in his bed before returning to hers. It wasn't until Elsa collapsed into her own bed (again, fully clothed) did it occur to her that the Lady Anna had not disclosed why she had been out alone so late, or why she had stooped to converse with a lowly actor, of all people.

* * *

_A/N: No agonizing cliffhanger this time (you're welcome). Came out slightly more comical than I intended, hope it works._


	5. Counting Stars

**ATLANTIC OCEAN, 1720**

It was an unpleasant and strange circumstance in which Elsa found herself staring down the barrel of a red-tipped pistol.

The journey across the vast ocean to the New World had been one of business. Her father, a penniless merchant, had become horribly ill the week before he was to depart. He needed to stock up on wares that he would then return with to Europe and sell at raised prices. Elsa, used to his long disappearances, took advantage of his occupation as one of seafaring adventures. As a little girl, she would listen with unflinching awe at his stories of weathering devilish storms and swashbuckling with pirates. Whether or not they were true didn't matter, only that in her eyes her father was a hero. With her only remaining parent now taken suddenly ill, and having no other siblings to shoulder the burden, it was up to the twenty-five year old to go on the journey herself. If she and her father were to stay out of trouble and poverty, it was the course that had to be taken.

It was with a heavy heart that Elsa bid her father farewell as he sat stoically upright against the headboard of the bed, pale and weak from illness.

"Mind yourself," he intoned, kissing her cheek as she leaned over him, tears sparkling in her eyes. "And… Elsa? Have an adventure." Her gaze met his and he smiled meekly. "Let it go." He pressed a small wooden object into her hand; it was a little charm, an ox. She ducked her head and allowed him to hang the creature about her neck. She fingered it affectionately and left a kiss on his clammy forehead in gratitude.

Before she knew it, she was at the dock, staring up at the large merchant ship that bobbing slowly in the dazzling sun of the harbor - a sight she had gazed upon many a time. This time, however, she was to embark upon it herself. She did not mind that she was leaving - no, only the fact that brought her hesitation was that her father would not be accompanying her and may very well lay dying.

"Let it go," he had said. With a last, withered look at the town stretched out behind her, she boarded the ship, slipping the purser coins and signing her name as her father had instructed. With mounting anxiety, she took up a place at the deck's edge, resting her slender hands on the hard wooden railing. Shouts of the crew sounded around her as they prepared to depart. Coiled rope was retrieved and pulled taut, orders were called out from every angle. Elsa looked down into the murky water below, wondering how the wind would feel when the ship was at full sail.

A force from behind nearly propelled Elsa overboard - her navel was pinned painfully to the sideboard and she heard a squeal from behind her at impact. It took her a few seconds of staring unseeingly at the water she had almost been pitched into before it occurred to her to turn around and face the offending body.

It was a boy, no older than ten. He had bright eyes, a goofy smile, and had just dropped the line he held. Elsa kneeled down in front of him as he gazed at her, rubbing his dark-haired head with a small, dirty hand.

"You have a bony butt," he said, but he was still had that goofy smile plastered on his face.

Elsa giggled, hand coming up to cover her mouth. "Are you all right?"

He grinned even wider, showing his whole set of yellowed teeth. "Yup!" He bent to pick up the rope he had dropped and held it up before Elsa. "I'm helping."

"You are doing a wonderful job," Elsa replied.

"I'm Olaf," he said, disregarding her compliment. "Who are you?"

Before she could answer, however, his eyes grew wide and he exclaimed, "You're a girl!"

Elsa stifled another giggle behind both hands, watching the boy's face transform from careless glee to childish confusion. He raised a stiff finger to point, squinting at her.

"It's bad luck."

Elsa's eyebrows rose, but a smile still toyed at her lips. More shouts from the crew.

"They need me," he continued, puffing out his chest importantly. Elsa saw the crew had steered the ship successfully out of the harbor and were setting its course for the open ocean. Elsa felt a pang of excitement when her eyes met the broad horizon, and she didn't notice right away that the boy had taken his rope and scuttled away.

The merchant's daughter spent the day roaming the ship, exploring every nook and cranny that she dared. Once or twice a crew member shot her an unpleasant look, after which she would immediately retreat to the safety of the deck to discover a different enterprise. She took care not to talk to anyone. Not a particularly social creature by nature, she preferred to observe and interact from a distance. Olaf was the only person she ended up speaking directly to the entire day.

The sunset on that first night out at sea was a spectacle - prisms of light danced off the dark water and sprinkled patterns on the mast and in her eyes, almost as if the West was calling her onward. She was only disappointed that the crew roaming the deck around her were indifferent to the beauty.

Her bunk was less of a spectacle. Surrounded by thirty snoring men, she tossed helplessly under the thin piece of cloth and tried not to think about the rats crawling over her feet in the darkness. The only aid she was granted in her pursuit of sleep was the gentle rocking of the ship, persistent in its motions.

When she awoke, she found her arms wound loosely around a small figure. How Olaf had crawled onto her bunk and into her arms without disturbing her slumber was beyond her, yet here he was, face nestled into the crook of her neck. She patted his head lightly, sighing, before resigning herself once more to sleep.

At least she had made a friend.

The next three weeks of the voyage passed in a blur of consistency. The crew did their job and Elsa stayed out of their way. No one spoke to her directly and that was the way she preferred it. She took her meals straight from the galley and out onto the deck. Olaf joined her after a time and they would sit side by side, joking, laughing, and telling tales until the sun, exhausted, hid under the horizon and its cousins, the stars, appeared to relieve it of its place in the sky. Elsa pointed to the constellations in turn, explaining their origins to the wide-eyed, ever-curious boy. Just as her father has done for her all those years ago. There was something about this vast expanse of water that brought out more of the pale beauties, pinpricks on the otherwise inky sky.

It was after one such a night of happy stargazing, the twenty-third night of Elsa's journey across the ocean, that she and Olaf were startled awake by cannon fire.

Disoriented, Elsa sat up, eyes darting blearily around the hold. Half of the crew was thundering up the stairs, some half dressed, and the ones remaining pulling on articles of clothing and grabbing weapons haphazardly.

"Is there a party?" Olaf yawned, rubbing his eyes with his fists.

"Not quite," Elsa said, lifting him from the bunk by his underarms and setting him upright on the floor.

"Will there be dancing?" he asked groggily, swaying with the ship beneath his feet.

"If you would like," she said, swinging her legs over the edge of the bunk. She pulled on jacket over her nightshirt and stepped into a pair of trousers.

"Yes," he said, slowly becoming more awake.

She paused in lacing her boots to smile at the boy, but then the world was splintered as another cannonball connected with the ship - it crashed straight into the hull, whistling past the pair and punching another hole in the opposite wall as it escaped and fell with a splash into the ocean outside.

Elsa and Olaf were thrown to the ground, limbs tangling in debris.

"Olaf!" Elsa said breathlessly, crawling through splintered remains of bunks and materials, trying to find the boy. Distantly, the sound of gunfire and shouting drifted down from the deck as Elsa searched desperately through the rubble for her young friend.

Her bloodied hands finally unearthed a boot and she scrambled to dig the boy out of the mess. He was unconscious, but he was breathing.

A series of thuds was heard from the stairway. Elsa looked over in time to see an unfortunate crew member tumble down and land in a crumpled heap at the bottom of it. Laughter and heavy footfalls preceded a parade of gun-wielding pirates. Half a dozen men spilled into the hold, fanning out to search. The tallest and blondest of the pack, and the apparent leader, was the first to lock eyes on Elsa where she kneeled by Olaf, trying to rouse him.

"Well, well! How interesting," the man said, picking his way through the cannon debris towards her, having to duck his head under the low ceiling.

Elsa watched him approach with dread, eyes wide. Olaf stirred in her arms and her attention was diverted back to him. "Olaf!" she said, shaking him gently. "Everything's going to-"

Her assurance was cut off when a large hand clamped down on her upper arm and she was pulled roughly to her feet, torn ruthlessly away from the boy.

"Stop it, let me go!" she screamed, reaching for Olaf as he too was imprisoned by strong hands and pulled to his shaking feet.

"I think the captain will be very interested to meet you," the tall man breathed into her ear, beginning to drag her to the stairs.

"Olaf! Don't panic!" she pleaded with him, trying to look over her shoulder at the boy, whose cries of desperation pierced through her like a knife.

The man held her weight as she tripped helplessly up the steps and emerged onto the deck, chill ocean wind stinging her face.

"Captain, look what I found," the man said, throwing her to her knees at a pair of sharp black boots. She stared at the intimidating feet before her, terrified, trembling from fear and cold.

A red-tipped pistol passed into her line of vision briefly before it was placed at her chin, forcing her gaze upward to the face of the pirate captain.

"A woman on board a merchant vessel? Now, that is bad luck."

Elsa's fear was instantly replaced by wonder as she took in the sight of the woman above her. A mischievous grin twisted the freckled face that was framed by two plaits of thick, red hair. A floppy, brimmed hat was perched lopsidedly on her head. Her shirt and coat hung loosely on her slight frame, only barely concealing the straps that hung from her shoulders, supporting holsters for the pistol and sword that she held in each hand.

Elsa heard muffled shouts from her left. Minutely turning her head, she saw that the entirety of the crew was in a huddle on the deck, hands tied and mouths gagged. Pirates stood, arms crossed, around them, guarding from dissent. Her eyes flickered back to the captain, whose glinting eyes were still trained on her, narrowing slightly.

Then, the captain spun in her heel and laughed joyfully, skipping over to the hostages.

"Lucky for you, my men haven't found anything worth taking anywhere on your puny vessel. Nothing that we want, anyway!" She made a lazy turn as she paced around her group, catching the eye of the tall man who had apprehended Elsa and winking at him. "We will, however, take these two as a reward for our efforts." She pointed with her sword at Elsa and Olaf. Elsa, having momentarily forgotten the boy, turned sharply to see that he was slung over a pirate's shoulder. He hung limply, but she couldn't see his face to ascertain his condition.

Not one of the merchant crew protested the captain's statement.

"Sorry about the cannonball holes," she said, sighing with mock remorse. "We asked you nicely to slow down and instead you increased your speed. I didn't appreciate that one bit."

She tapped the flat edge of her sword on each head she passed, as though playing some childhood game.

"Retreat to the _Revenge_!" she barked suddenly at her crew and they instantly set to work removing themselves to the menacing pirate ship tethered to the merchant's. The frozen wind ripped into Elsa, tossing her hair around her face, blocking out the sight of the red headed captain striding back over to where the merchant's daughter knelt on the deck. The woman seemed spurred on by the chaos around her. She stopped before Elsa, inches before crushing the kneeling girl's fingers under her boots, and looked to the tall blonde.

"Good find, Kristoff." They grinned at each other in mutual comradery. "Shall we?"

Without further ado, the pair reached down in unison to hoist Elsa from the ground and throw her unceremoniously onto the other ship.

"Let's cast off!" the captain shouted, holstering her weapons and taking her position at the helm.

Overwhelmed by so much change in only a few minutes, Elsa watched the merchant ship on which she was supposed to return to her father drift further and further away. She reached up to grip the ox charm hanging from her neck as a frozen wind billowed the waves in the building storm. She wondered if this was the kind of adventure her father had wished for her.

"Elsa!" Olaf said from behind her. She turned quickly to embrace him protectively, searching for something to hold onto as the rising waves bucked the ship like it were a mere toy. The pirates paid them no mind as they set about keeping the ship afloat through the gale.

The_ Revenge_ pitched suddenly starboard, the figure at the helm spinning the wheel wildly.

"What in the devil's name is Captain Anna doing?" Elsa heard a nearby pirate shout. It was the first mate, Kristoff, who answered.

"Why, this is her idea of fun!" he yelled back, and grinned as the line of the mast he held slid him across the soaked deck.

Using one arm to cling to the sideboard and the other to hold Olaf fast, Elsa chanced a glance up to the helm; a sudden flash of lightning illuminated the captain's face. The grin she bore was that of pure enjoyment - the face of a child. Something in Elsa's stomach dropped at the sight, and the merchant's daughter knew it wasn't seasickness kicking in; it was the sensation of absolute pleasure.

* * *

_A/N: This was probably the story I was most looking forward to writing. Pirate!Anna was inspired by real-life woman pirate Anne Bonny, if you want to Google her, she's super interesting! Like, the _Revenge_ is a real ship that Bonny sailed on. Cool, huh?_


	6. How to Save a Life

**ARIZONA TERRITORY, 1880**

Anna sighed in boredom as she took apart and reloaded her gun for the fifth time in an hour. Shiny and red-tipped, the pistol was a prize from their first hold-up and happened to be her favorite possession. She lay on her back on the sun-baked dirt, prostrated in the scrub at the side of the road. Her hair was in braids, peeking out from beneath her hat, framing her sun-darkened, freckled face. Adeptly, she slid the bullets into her pistol and shut it with a loud click.

"Will you quit that?" came the annoyed voice of her partner from the other side of the road.

"We've been here for ages," Anna whined, rolling onto her stomach to peer at the fair head tucked into the shadows of brush five yards away.

"Yes," was the only reply. Anna waited a few seconds for more before changing tact and trying again.

"Shouldn't it have come by now?"

"I don't know, Anna. Maybe they stopped for supplies."

Anna huffed out a breath, rising up on her hands and knees to get a better view of her partner, disregarding sight lines.

"But it's hot."

"Anna," said the blonde, also rolling over onto hands and knees and fixing the redhead with an icy glare. "I'm the one wearing a dress. So no more complaining." And with that, plopped back down into the dirt, raising a miniature cloud of dust that settled as Anna watched.

"But, Elsa-"

A rock thrown from the other side of the road hit Anna square in the forehead. "Hey!" she said, immediately dropping back into her hiding spot.

"Stay down, I hear it coming," Elsa hissed, coming up into a crouch.

Exhilaration pumped through her veins as she grinned, tightening her grip on the pistol in preparation. She willed herself to become one with her environment, straining to hear any sounds.

After a few suspended seconds of silence, Anna's ears trained on the distant pounding of hooves - a team of horses pulling a stagecoach. The redhead suppressed a squeal of excitement, squirming to situate herself deeper into the scrub around her and lowering her head. From under her hat's brim, she could just see Elsa crouched in shadow, watching intently. The sight had Anna grinning more broadly as the sounds grew louder.

Then she saw Elsa take a breath and stumble out onto the road, screaming for help. She heard the coach driver yelling at his horses to stop for the woman who had suddenly thrown herself into his path.

"Whoa!" Eight pairs of hooves stomped and slipped as the hulking beasts were brought to a halt, snorting and panting. Anna heard rather than saw this; her limited field of vision obscured all but Elsa's pointed boots beneath the ragged hem of the faded violet dress she wore.

Rocks and dirt were thrown up as the horses came to a definitive stop, manes tossing and feet stomping. Elsa fell to the ground, crying out in gratitude and Anna heard a thump as the coach driver hopped down from his perch and crunched over to the blonde.

"Are you all right?" the man asked. Elsa brought a hand to her face to hide the fact that her wild sobs were devoid of tears. The driver reached her and stood for a moment, unsure of how to help.

"What's the matter?" he tried again, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder.

From beneath the hand on her brow, Elsa's eyes locked on Anna, still hidden in the brush. With an almost imperceptible smile, she winked at the redhead. That was the signal - silently, Anna pushed herself up and moved stealthily over to the driver, whose back was to her as he awkwardly patted Elsa's shaking shoulders.

In a few steps, the red tip of Anna's pistol was pressing into the driver's back, and she was cheerfully commanding him not to do anything rash. Elsa stood, smirking and letting her hand drop. "Sorry," she said remorselessly and pulled her dress up the length of her leg, revealing the pale skin inch-by-inch to get to the gun holstered on her thigh. Anna averted her gaze and blushed as though she hadn't seen her partner do this fifty times before. Secretly, this was the reason Anna usually insisted on the blonde playing the damsel in distress.

Elsa daintily let the fabric drop back down and flicked her gun at the driver. "Go and empty your cab."

The man, wide eyes flickering between the two guns trained on him, made his way slowly back to the coach, skirting carefully around Anna as he passed her. The redhead fell in line beside her partner, bumping her hip to Elsa's playfully.

"So easy," Anna said, smirking.

"It's not over yet," Elsa muttered, resigned, but smiled slightly despite herself.

The driver patted the restless horses as he passed, shooting furtive glances over his shoulder at the armed women. He reached the door and turned the handle, unlatching it and swinging it open. He leaned in and the women exchanged excited looks. After a minute, the driver removed himself from the interior and was immediately followed out by a suited man with hard eyes and thick sideburns.

The passenger fearlessly approached the women with quick, sure steps. Anna saw he held a cane in a gloved hand but his strong gait indicated it was merely for show. The driver cautiously shut the coach door as he watched the proceedings.

"You don't seem to understand," the passenger said conversationally, stopping a yard away from the gun tips and removing his top hat with ironic reverence. "You see," he said, eyes bouncing between the robbers, "There is a place I need to be, and you are rendering me tardy."

"This is a hold-up!" Anna said, skipping forward and waving her pistol ostentatiously into the passenger's chest. He did not flinch, so Anna cocked the gun for effect and narrowed her eyes. "Let's see those belongings."

The man sighed in exasperation but turned nonetheless to allow Anna to lead him back to the coach, pistol pressed into his back. They passed the driver and Anna heard Elsa ordering him to the ground. At the tail end of the coach, the passenger replaced his hat and after a prod with the red-tipped pistol, he opened the trunk tied there. Excited, Anna shoved him away, using one hand to rummage through the chest and the other to keep the gun aimed at the well-dressed man.

"Hurry up, Anna," Elsa's voice drifted from the side of the coach.

"Anna?" the passenger repeated. The utterance of the name made the owner's head snap to him. "Beautiful name. Mine is Hans."

She nodded shortly and returned to her search of the trunk. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the passenger inching away from her. Distracted once again from the belongings and needing control of the situation, she snapped: "Don't move!"

"Or what?" Hans said, eyes suddenly glinting with mischief. Disarmed, Anna turned completely to face him. He seemed to be goading her on and Anna knew that two could play that game.

Without a second thought, she aimed her pistol at the ground before him and pulled the trigger, sending a bullet into the dirt at his feet.

"Anna!" Elsa said in frustration. Her partner was always reprimanding her for something.

"Ah," was Hans' only reaction, not even recoiling in surprise. "And here I was thinking it wasn't loaded."

Becoming increasingly annoyed by the man's running commentary, Anna said hotly, "What kind of stagecoach robbers do you think we are?"

"Anna!" said Elsa again, appearing around the corner of the coach toting the driver at gunpoint with her. Unexpectedly, there was alarm in her eyes and this confused Anna. "Grab the gold and let's go, we've spent too much time here."

Anna shot Hans a quick look of irritation and quickened her pace in searching. Finally, she came upon a coin purse and grabbed it, not bothering to open and spill its contents.

"Got it! Let's go!"

Elsa exhaled in relief and released the driver. For good measure, Anna stomped on Hans' polished toes, but this proved to be a mistake. Dropping his cool demeanor, the man retaliated in rage, raising a hand and backhanding Anna across the cheek before she could react. She fell to the dirt, cheek stinging, as the red-tipped pistol flew from her grip and skittered across the road to rest at the edge of the brush.

From the ground, Anna heard a shot and felt warm blood splatter her face - she looked up to see the outraged passenger holding an arm that was bleeding freely. Then, soft hands were on her, trying to tug her to her feet.

"Anna, are you all right?" she heard Elsa murmuring, panicked, in her ear. "We need to get out of here."

Anna got her balance, though she was still dizzy from the blow. Despite the dangers, a thrill of excitement shot through her - never did they get to experience so much action.

"Can you stand?"

"I think so…"

Occupied with Anna's condition, neither woman noticed the passenger stumble over to the discarded gun and pick it up, a malevolent glint in his eye.

"No!" came a shout from behind them - the driver lunged at Hans, but not before the man pulled the trigger, lodging an unforgiving bullet into Elsa's side.

Anna froze as the shot echoed around them. Several things registered at once: Hans' smirk of triumph, the driver tackling his passenger to the ground a second too late, Elsa's gasp of pain, and most alarming, the strong hands slipping from their protective grip on her.

Any sort of enjoyment she had felt at the danger was resolutely ripped from her.

For a few seconds she stood watching the driver pummel Hans, tearing the gun away. Then, the horror set in and she dropped to her knees at Elsa's side. The blonde was writhing in pain but made no sound. Anna's hands ghosted over her torso, unsure of how to help - dark liquid was staining the dress and spread over the shaky fingers that clutched at the wound.

Without a thought, Anna reached into a pocket of her trousers and pulled out the flowered handkerchief that was the only memento she had from her deceased parents. She made to press the cloth against Elsa's wound, but the older woman hissed, "no!" through gritted teeth; Elsa knew what the handkerchief meant to Anna.

"You are more important than any family relic," Anna assured her stubbornly. Displacing Elsa's hand, she pressed the cloth to the injury, eliciting a sharp cry of pain that tore through Anna as though she herself had been shot.

"Here, use this to hold it in place."

Anna had forgotten about the driver; he was now bent over the pair, watching intently and holding out a strip of cloth. She took it wordlessly. Carefully propping up her partner with another pained noise, Anna tied the strip clumsily around her blood-drenched waist.

"Get in the coach, I'll drive you to the nearest town."

Anna looked at him in disbelief, arms still cradling a barely conscious Elsa.

"But… we're robbers… we held you at gunpoint…"

"Yes, but you weren't trying to rob _me_, now were you?" he said, indicating the unconscious passenger behind him. "Do you want your friend to live or not?"

Anna nodded immediately and began to rise. The driver hastened to assist in getting the blonde into the cab. They soon had her loaded in - she was laid as flat as possible on the cushioned seat.

Anna stopped the driver before he hopped up onto his perch to secure the reigns - the gunshots had startled the horses and they shifted uneasily.

"Thank you," she said earnestly, but paused because she did not know his name.

"Kristoff," he supplied. Then he urged, "hurry!"

She threw herself into the cab, settling on the floor because Elsa took up the whole seat. She heard Kristoff shout and the coach began to advance. The movement jostled Elsa and made her groan, so Anna reached out and took her hand, squeezing it affectionately.

"I'm sorry," was all she could say. Elsa cracked open an eye and fixed it on the redhead, whose face was level with hers.

"Anna…" she said and smiled the tiniest and most reassuring smile she could muster.

It was this smile that caused the reaction Anna had been holding back to break forth. She took Elsa's hand in both of hers and pressed the cold fingers to her lips as she began to weep with reckless abandon.

* * *

_A/N: This thing had to earn its T-rating sooner or later. I think the stories that feature the girls in a pre-established relationship are the best received. Although, I hope this ending wasn't AS gut-wrenching as the Paris one (I had a lot of complaints about that guy haha) Don't worry, only two more originals, then I'll start wrapping the stories up one by one :) Also, I hit 100 followers and I want to thank every one of you! I can now die happy._


	7. Staying Up

**BERLIN, 1943**

Anna's mind had been drifting. Rather than settling on the pile of editorials she had to file or the other work waiting for her at home, her thoughts were solidly stuck on the woman she had met three weeks prior. Her long blonde hair braided to perfection. Those piercing blue eyes that glowed when she laughed. The pale unblemished skin with those almost indiscernible freckles spread across the bridge of her nose. Her full, red lips…

Anna was startled from her reverie when the door to the office opened and her boss entered, throwing another giant stack of papers onto his assistant's desk. "File these too, will you? The air raid last night made me lose track of time."

"I will surely do that," Anna told him, smiling weakly in a way she hoped didn't look like a grimace. It was increasingly difficult in this day and age to feel genuine emotion, especially for an undercover Jewish woman working as the assistant for the editor of the Nazi propaganda newspaper.

He took off his glasses and leaned forward, elbows on his desk, and fixed her with a stare. "Anna?"

"Kai?" she responded, not looking up from the papers in front of her. Meeting his eye always caused her anxiety. She knew he trusted her intimately and the fact that she lied to his face every day grieved her.

"I wondered how you were holding up. The raid last night was one of the worst I can remember Berlin having. My wife and I had been at the theatre when we heard the sirens - they had to cancel the show. Shame."

Anna glanced up at him out of politeness, but he wasn't looking her way. He seemed lost in thought.

"Oh, I'm fine," she said airily. No need to tell him she had broken down after the raid, alone in the tiny closet room she slept in, completely overwhelmed at the thought of a future too cloudy to comprehend, an oppressive lie she lived with on a daily basis, and the constant threat of capture and execution.

"You've just been looking pale, that's all." She flashed him what she hoped was a reassuring smile and hunched back over her desk, losing herself once more in daydreams of the blonde beauty, Elsa. Because at this point, dreams were much better than her reality.

Meeting the woman had been a complete accident. Anna's good friend Rapunzel worked as Elsa's maid. Although a housewife with three children, Elsa was completely incapable of normal household duties, according to Rapunzel. Anna had heard a lot of complaints about the woman from her maid, but the stories only amused Anna. She would laugh them off and attributed them to an employee's usual discontent of one's job. The day in question, Rapunzel, Anna, and some of the other girls from their Underground Resistance group (all Jewish and all queer) had been at a rendezvous point to obtain information from another secret group. By chance, Elsa had brought her children to the same restaurant because it was Rapunzel's day off. The maid had panicked upon seeing the family and had hid herself surreptitiously behind a pillar, but not before pointing the woman out to Anna. The redhead became immediately smitten and had stared over at the woman, unbeknownst to her, until the job was complete and they had to quit the restaurant before anyone got suspicious.

That one look across a busy restaurant was enough - Anna's whole world, which had been floating so freely in strife and fear, was suddenly anchored in this one woman. Since that day, Anna had been overcome with passion and written the blonde a letter anonymously every week. Instead of her name, Anna signed these letters with a symbol she had seen in a book somewhere - it was somewhat like the one on the Nazi flag, but there were only three prongs and they were more curved and enclosed by a circle. Anna did all of this much to Rapunzel's profound displeasure. The maid was now subjected to constant talk of the lonely housewife's secret admirer. Rapunzel was Elsa's only company, for the bombings had since sent her children to the countryside and because her husband was off serving the country on the front lines, Elsa was now always alone in her flat.

The fact that this woman was married to a Nazi Officer, had children, and was most likely a distinct heterosexual did nothing to deter Anna's perusal of her. Anna was stubborn and hadn't selfishly desired anything for so long, didn't she deserve a reward after such a long time of lonely suffering and fighting? And did it matter if the woman found out Anna's race, this cultural indicator that had suddenly become illegal in the country in which she lived? If her employer had no inkling as to her true identity, then neither would Elsa, surely. Anna had never wanted anything so much; she wanted Elsa more than freedom from discrimination. She knew that Elsa was worth any struggle, and she didn't even know the woman.

They had exchanged words though - did that make them acquaintances? The week before Anna had insisted on escorting Rapunzel to work on the pretense of safety in numbers, but Rapunzel knew better - Anna was hoping to run casually into the object of her affection. And they did; Elsa was departing from the building as Rapunzel was about to enter. This of course called for a brief introduction in which Anna called Elsa beautiful in her greeting, making the blonde blush furiously and stutter out a mild thanks before scurrying away to attend to her business.

It was the thought of the blonde's red face and averted eyes that was occupying space in Anna's mind when the clock struck five; time to leave. Relieved, she started to pack up and heard Kai doing the same from across the room. As the editor was reaching his arms into the sleeves of his coat, he struck up a bit of harmless conversation.

"New Year's Eve," he said. Yes, Anna was aware. But she said nothing. "It's on a Friday, that's quite the convenience."

"Indeed," she said, snapping shut her briefcase loaded with the paperwork she hadn't finished on account of her incessant daydreams.

"Any plans?"

Big plans. By a happy twist of fate, Anna was invited to Elsa's flat for a party that night. The girls of the Underground Resistance had needed a location to hold a rare shindig and release all of their wartime stress and Rapunzel, having listened to Elsa complain about her loneliness one too many times, suggested to the housewife that they hold it at her flat. Needing human contact for once, Elsa had agreed immediately and so the girls were to crash her home for the night and usher in the new year. Anna had many scenarios about the night chasing themselves around her head and all of them included the seducing the housewife.

"Not really," was what Anna actually answered with. "Maybe a drink or two. Usually I can't stay up until midnight anyway."

She smiled innocently at Kai as he chuckled. "You and me both, sister."

He moved toward the door that led to the rest of the deserted editing room and clicked off the lights. "See you next year." He chuckled for a moment at his own joke, then his face fell and his eyes became serious. "And don't tell anyone I said this, but let's hope this war finally ends this year."

Anna stared at her employer, not letting any emotion betray itself on her face.

"Forgive me," he continued, thinking Anna's lack of response was something like shock. "Goodnight."

It was not snowing as she set off for home, but the night was bitter cold and the sky overhead was glowing the purple that indicated that snow was a threat. Or perhaps there was going to be another air raid. Anything was possibly tonight.

Anna thought herself exceptionally calm as she dressed, considering the joys she anticipated the night to bring. She chose her outfit carefully and finally, after an hour of deliberation, chose a long, low cut, sequined black gown and piled her red mane into a careless updo. She had thought seriously of donning a tuxedo, but decided that it was overkill.

The girls had all planned to meet outside Rapunzel's building and invade Elsa's flat all at once. This was for safety as well as convenience. There were eight of them all together, and as queer as could be. They weren't drunk as yet, but were nonetheless rowdy as schoolgirls while they meandered down the chilly Berlin streets to their destination. The only reason they weren't stopped by any suspicious police was because the holiday had drawn out many people who were also loud and impossible.

Rapunzel stayed close by Anna as they walked - the two had fooled around in the past and Anna knew that the girl still had feelings for her. Anna did not feel the same,and only succumbed to her friend's advances on those rare occasions when the loneliness and hopelessness was crippling. Anna had told her as much, but Rapunzel was just as stubborn as the redhead. Anna felt a hand brushing her sleeve, but she didn't take the bait. Not tonight. No, tonight her heart belonged to another.

By the time they arrived at Elsa's building, Rapunzel had given up in her attentions towards Anna and led the charge up the winding stairs to the top floor. She hammered on the door with Anna at her shoulder, brimming with anticipation. The door opened wide, a giddy Elsa beaming at the party as she ushered them into her immaculately clean flat (Rapunzel's work, no doubt). The girls made themselves at home at once, fanning out to claim seats and inspect their surroundings. Anna lingered by the door and watched Elsa back into it until it closed, excited eyes entrapped by the people who were now filling her home so snugly.

"Need help with the drinks?" Anna asked, selfishly wanting those mirthful eyes on herself.

"Yes, please…" Elsa said, pausing and gesturing apologetically at Anna for recognizing her but not remembering her name.

"Anna," she said, taking the blonde's outstretched hand tenderly, resisting the urge to bring the soft, pale knuckles to her lips.

"That's right," Elsa said, nodding. A smile played on her lips as the two looked at each other, hands suspended in a gentle hold between them. Then the spell was broken when Elsa turned, leading Anna to the dining table upon which sat an array of bottles. Someone clicked on a radio and the slightly muffled and crackling sound of a saxophone filled the flat as Anna caught a glimpse of Rapunzel glaring at her and Elsa from across the room. Anna ignored her friend's jealousy, however, and focused her attention intently on Elsa.

"You'll have to forgive me, I haven't had company in quite some time," Elsa said, selecting a bottle of wine and pouring it into a glass. "I hope I don't botch anything."

"You could never do that," Anna assured her, plucking the glass out of her hand playfully. Elsa was immune to the redhead's advance, though. "Thank you for letting us invade."

"My pleasure!" Elsa said, pouring more wine into another glass, then began to pass them around the room.

"It will be soon," Anna mumbled into her glass before taking a generous gulp.

Before long, every woman was downing glasses upon glasses of alcohol. Anna and Rapunzel had found the whiskey and were soon challenging each other to a contest consisting of who could finish their tumbler the quickest and hold it down the longest. Anna won the race spectacularly and immediately thereafter dropped down dizzily on the couch beside Elsa from where she had been watching the pair. Recklessly, Anna threw an arm around the blonde and Rapunzel, upon seeing this gesture, quickly moved away to address another part of the room. In her wake was left the sight of two of the girls kissing furiously against the opposite wall. If Elsa was surprised or offended by this, she did not reveal it.

Anna leaned over unsteadily and pressed her face into Elsa's hair, whispering over the blaring radio and loud conversation: "having fun?" The blonde nodded and turned her head to look at Anna. When she realized, however, how close their faces had become she flushed fiercely and rose, excusing herself, and picked her way precariously through the dancing women. Anna watched as she reached and leaned upon the doorway between the sitting room and the kitchen. It appeared as though she had just run a great distance and needed to stop and catch her breath.

Anna swiftly and steadily (despite the alcohol) crept into the dining area which was connected to the kitchen and then led back out into the sitting room. This arrangement allowed the perfect angle at which to sneak up on Elsa from her current position, and Anna did so as the blonde propped herself on the threshold, surveying the room at large. Anna stayed far enough back to not be mistaken as an aggressor and spoke lightly. "It's beautiful, isn't it? Human nature. Passion."

The kissing pair had slid down the wall to entangle themselves on the floor and Rapunzel was now dancing drunkenly with another friend.

"It is…" Elsa replied, not turning around. She continued to muse: "but sometimes human nature is disgraceful. Sometimes it destroys and kills and leaves people alone."

Anna moved a bit closer to her. "True. But on the other hand, life begets life. I love how it works itself out, even through destruction. Like everything is meant to be the way it is, exactly the way it unfolds."

Elsa still didn't turn, but her head was cocked in a way that told Anna that she was listening intently to her pondering. The redhead took another step forward; she was now as close as she could get to Elsa without touching her. Throwing caution to the winds, she began to quote herself to the blonde, the words that had poured so fervidly into her secret, anonymous letters, words that she couldn't contain, words of love.

"_We are meant to be. We deserve each other and that is the truth whether or not I am the only one who knows it. I will admire your beauty until the end of my days and every day before or after - you will always be mine and nothing will change it - not time or life or death_."

During the recitation, Anna gently took Elsa's hands and by the end, the blonde was gazing at her in wonder.

"_You_ wrote those beautiful letters to me?"

Anna was lost in the blue eyes. Her mind was swimming - though from the drink or the passion that engulfed her, she did not know. Perhaps both.

"Yes," she breathed, inches from her beloved's lips. Anna knew what she wanted and she was going to take it.

"I don't know what to say."

It was at this point that Anna, heady with the proximity, the intoxication, the aroma, the utter sensuality, closed the gap and kissed Elsa. She almost cried out with joy when the blonde responded in kind, kissing her back with what was unmistakably desire. As Anna pushed Elsa against the door frame, she swallowed the guilt that bubbled up - the idea of a Jewish woman seducing a Nazi Officer's wife - the horrible fate she had now surely condemned herself to - all because of this one weakness.

A cheer went up among the women as the clock struck twelve. Anna and Elsa broke apart, looking over into the room and saw the party explode into a chaotic mass of physical affection. They looked back at each other, grinning.

"Happy New Year, Anna."

"Happy New Year, Elsa."

If Anna had learned anything through all of her hardships, it was to live in the moment, because any moment could be the last. As she leaned back into Elsa, wrapping her arms around her waist, she vowed that no matter what, she would do just that.

* * *

_A/N: So this one is based off of one of my favorite movies_ - Aimee and Jaguar. _It's seriously amazing and it's on Netflix so I highly recommend everyone watch it! It's only fair to warn you that it's in German w/ subs but I hope that doesn't put anyone off._


	8. Gravity

**UNITED STATES, 2013**

"We're ready for you."

A woman with countless piercings and two full sleeves of tattoos was beckoning Elsa to the back room of the parlor. She stood, already starting to feel nauseous. Why was she doing this again?

Kristoff immediately got to his feet enthusiastically - he had been most excited about Elsa's procedure.

"Um, excuse me?" the redhead that had been sitting next to him on the bench sprang up in the same instant and punched him on the shoulder.

"She's MY best friend," she continued, scowling up at the taller man.

Elsa, although weary as she always was at their bickering, felt her heart lurch as Anna fought to be beside her while she subjected herself to what she was sure would be pure agony. The woman had already disappeared behind the curtain.

"How about it Elsa?"

The blonde's attention snapped back to her friends. "What?"

"We'll let you decide," said Anna, crossing her arms over her chest.

Elsa took a moment to look between her two friends, but they both knew who she was going to pick. Defeated, Kristoff sat back down on the bench before she could even speak. Anna squealed in triumph and delight before skipping over to Elsa, taking her hand, and leading her to the back room.

Hyper-aware as she always was when Anna was touching her, she almost didn't hear the redhead ask if she was nervous.

"Naw," she managed nonchalantly. She could tell Anna saw right through her but said nothing, instead giving her hand a gentle squeeze before letting it go.

Elsa settled in the sloped chair and Anna pulled a stool up next to her so that her head was level with Elsa's chest. The blonde tried not to dwell on the proximity of the best friend that she may or may not have had a crush on, instead focusing her attention on the woman who was now preparing the needle. Elsa wasn't afraid of needles, nor was she at the moment afraid of the pain, but she was thinking heavily on the fact that this was going to be permanent and practically irreversible. She normally didn't make rash decisions.

"Where exactly did you want it, hun?"

"Uh… here," Elsa said, indicating the space behind the bump of bone on the inside of her ankle. Elsa watched calmly as the tattoo artist carefully put the symbol she would trace on the location she had pointed out. It was small and would only be a few black lines - nothing too noticeable (or expensive). It kind of looked like a swastika, but there were only three prongs and they were more curved and enclosed by a circle. It was something she had seen online in high school and had become obsessed with, finding herself drawing it on everything from her diary to her chemistry notes. Anna had finally suggested after catching Elsa lightly tracing the little circular symbol on her wrist for the umpteenth time that she get it tattooed somewhere. The blonde had stewed over the idea for almost two years before reluctantly giving in. It was mostly the guilt of not having done something "rite of passage-y" for her 18th birthday that had really drove her to it. Besides, Anna was constantly reminding her that she'd soon be 21 and thought that an act of rebellion was long overdue.

"Ready hun?" The artist glanced at her customer, needle poised ominously above Elsa's soon-to-be-tainted skin. Elsa nodded shortly and seconds later the needle met her ankle.

The blonde hissed as she inhaled sharply - it felt like a knife was being dragged tortuously slow across her skin.

"You okay?" Anna asked, the hint of a laugh perceptible in her voice.

"Ow," said Elsa, hands gripping the edge of the chair.

Anna giggled at her pain. "Here," she said, reaching out and prying the hand closest to her from its death grip on the chair's edge. Their fingers tangled together and Anna used her free hand to trace reassuring patterns on the back of the pale hand she held.

Elsa was unfortunately in too much pain to be pleased with this arrangement. Instead, she tightened her grip on her best friend's fingers as the buzzing needle drifted over a particularly tender spot of her ankle.

"Hey, remind me what it means again?"

Elsa looked over to find the redhead's chin resting on the edge of the chair, face inches away from Elsa's. She quickly looked away again and answered through gritted teeth.

"Fate and eternity." Elsa suspected that Anna had not forgotten the meaning, as the older girl had explained it plenty of times before, but that she was using the question to try and distract Elsa from the pain. Because Anna was seriously the best and would do something like that.

Soon enough (or too soon?) the artist was finished and was wiping away the last droplets of blood from the fresh tattoo. The whole thing had only taken probably fifteen minutes but had felt like ages. Anna stood, letting Elsa's hand drop. Covering her displeasure at the lack of contact with her relief that the pricking of her skin was over, Elsa looked down to survey the new permanent mark on her left ankle. The ink still glistened slightly and the skin all around it was a puffy, angry red. But there it was, in all its glory.

"Now you're inked!" said Anna, golf-clapping. "You're now ten times cooler just for that."

"I feel the same," Elsa responded, but she grinned at the compliment anyway.

Elsa only half listened to the artist's tattoo care lecture because Anna had placed a hand on the other side of Elsa's head and was leaning over the blonde as she sat rigid in the chair. She found she often forgot to breathe around Anna and decided it probably wasn't healthy but conceded that there was really nothing to be done about it.

Kristoff cheered loudly when the pair emerged from the back room.

"Lemme see, lemme see!"

Elsa, rolling her eyes, pulled up her pant leg to show him the gauze that had been taped over the tattoo.

"Sorry, not sorry," she said as he pouted.

"Well, at least you didn't cry," he continued, inspecting her face for any sign of tears.

"No, she took it like a champ!" said Anna, flashing her a broad smile that made Elsa's heart clench painfully.

"How's your hand?" Elsa asked, remembering the pressure she had placed upon it in the heat of battle.

"Not broken!" she said brightly. "But you needed it, so it's okay."

Elsa paid for her mistake in cold hard cash and soon the trio was sitting on stools around a counter in Anna's kitchen. Her parents never cared how loud they were or how late they stayed, so it was always the place the friends congregated. Anna was sliding around the kitchen (stocking-ed feet on hardwood floors), throwing chips and cookies onto the counter for her friends to demolish. She also began to make a cup of Tension Tamer for Elsa without even being asked; she just knew her friend that well.

"It can't have hurt that bad," Kristoff said for the third time through a mouthful of Oreo.

Elsa fixed him with a glare, not bothering to answer. After a few silent seconds of unbroken eye contact, she began to chew her own mouthful in an exaggeratedly slow fashion, like a cow, and Kristoff bust up in laughter.

"What did I miss?" Anna said, sliding over from tending the kettle on the stove and bumping straight into Elsa, almost landing on top on her.

"Can't you stay upright for five seconds?" Kristoff teased Anna as she laughed, leaning into Elsa and practically sitting on her lap. Elsa froze, resisting the urge to pull the redhead closer.

Then the weight was gone and Elsa released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Sorry, Elsa!" Anna said, still giggling, not aware of what she had done to her friend. The kettle began to whistle and the redhead slid over to retrieve it.

"We should hot tub!" Kristoff said.

Elsa groaned. "I can't! My tattoo!" She cursed herself again for the mark; she loved hot tubing, especially at night, and especially when Anna was involved.

"Can't you, like, wrap it up in a plastic bag or something? I saw them do it on TV… I think…" Anna suggested, sliding over to place a mug next to Elsa and slopping a bit of steaming tea on the counter in the process.

"Thanks - what if it leaks though?"

"Just keep your foot out," Kristoff said. "You'll look like an awkward model posing for _Sports Illustrated_'s swimsuit edition, but I won't judge."

"I will!" Anna piped up and teasingly pulled at the end of the platinum blonde braid that loosely down Elsa's back. She closed her eyes, trying to keep her heart rate steady as a smile spread across her face.

"Okay, fine."

Ten minutes later, Elsa was carefully lowering herself into the heated water, making sure to keep her left foot propped on the ledge and safely dry. As always when Anna was near her in a bathing suit, Elsa battled with the urge to gawk and instead stole furtive glances to drink up her fill of Anna's scantily-clad figure, distorted though it was through the water.

Being in a bathing suit gave Elsa a strange sort of confidence instead of insecurity. She knew her body wasn't perfect but she also knew she wasn't unattractive by any means, but mostly she hoped secretly that Anna was stealing glances at her too.

"Yep," Kristoff said, surveying her. "Far cry from _Sports Illustrated_."

"Shut up," Elsa said, splashing at him. The trio then settled into a comfortable silence. They had been friends for so long that they often didn't need to say anything at all to enjoy each other's company. From her half laying down position, Elsa was primed for stargazing, so she did just that.

A brisk October breeze drifted around them, ruffling Kristoff's bangs and jostling Anna's braids. The redhead sighed in contentment and stretched out, resting her feet on the one thigh of Elsa's that was submerged in the water. If Anna had done this by accident, she didn't correct her position and Elsa was left struggling to ignore the touch.

Elsa didn't get to see her best friends very often. Just random weekends or nights like this were all they could make time for. Anna was a senior in high school, so she had classes, homework, and (depending on the season) tennis practice to keep her busy. Elsa also had class and went to University in the next town over. Kristoff graduated high school in May, but decided to work instead of continue his education. He was a barista at a coffee shop near Elsa's campus and served as a rock climbing instructor on other random days. The trio didn't have a lot of time for each other but the days they did have were spent in laughter and good times.

Elsa couldn't pinpoint the exact moment she had fallen for her best friend. It sounded so cliche when she really thought about it - falling for her best friend. What a lark. But Anna had saved her. It had been Elsa's senior year, she had just ditched her old alcohol-abusing, chain-smoking group of friends and was eating lunch alone like a loser.

"Can I sit here?" she had asked, smiling brightly like she does. She was a freshman, but she was sunshine on a rainy day. After that first lunch the two had become inseparable. Kristoff, who Anna met in her math class, joined their little group shortly after. Anna had this kind of magnetism to her, like gravity - when she pulled someone into her orbit, they were stuck. Her endless enthusiasm and optimism was what Elsa loved most about her - Anna was always excited about something. Not to mention, she was one of those touchy-feely people who hugged everyone all the time and encouraged physical affection. Elsa, not used to such notions, quickly became dependent on these little doses of happiness. She knew that she deluded herself into thinking these pieces of affection were special to herself, but she couldn't help it.

There was a problem though: Anna was most likely straight as a board and Kristoff liked her too. He never said, but Elsa could just tell. She wasn't really jealous - if Anna wanted to date him, fine, whatever made her happy. Unluckily for either of them, Anna showed no interest in her two friends beyond the platonic. On the other hand, Elsa had also never perceived in their years of friendship any interest in a romantic relationship with anyone else either. This opened the door for hope.

So the trio's delicate balance of friendship made them as thick as thieves - as long as the boat wasn't rocked. And as long as Elsa capped her desire, it wouldn't be. But it became a little harder to do every time she saw Anna, because distance, instead of diminishing it, somehow made her attachment to the redhead stronger.

Staring unseeing at the sky as it clouded over, she wondered vaguely if she should confide in Kristoff her feelings for Anna to see how he himself coped. Maybe someday.

Anna's toe prodded Elsa's thigh in the water. "How's the tat holding up?"

"It kind of tingles," Elsa noted. "And my foot's really cold." She blushed as Anna came forward to rub some heat into her foot, avoiding the gauze on her ankle. Elsa was glad it was dark.

The next day was Halloween. Although Kristoff and Elsa were out of high school, Anna always managed to persuade them to dress up and go trick-or-treating in her neighborhood. The two friends had long since given up on any protests - Anna was too stubborn. Every holiday was her favorite holiday. There was always a theme to their costumes too and this year's theme was Peter Pan. Anna herself was the eponymous character, Elsa was stuffed into a skimpy Tinker Bell outfit (because she "was the blonde!") and Kristoff donned a hideous wig and beard to be Captain Hook.

The night was pretty chilly for what Elsa was wearing, but to keep Anna's spirits up she bit back any complaints. She was rewarded, however, when Anna herself became cold and slipped an arm through Elsa's, pressing close to her side. Kristoff trailed behind them as they walked down the middle of the suburb's winding streets, trying to scare the small children that passed by brandishing his hook at them.

"Stop being mean, Kristoff," Anna reprimanded him after yet another child gave the trio a wide berth, ready to run if the tall teenager lunged at him. The redhead strained to look over her shoulder at him, but held tight to Elsa's arm, which the blonde didn't fail to notice.

"What? It's Halloween, kids love being scared!"

"He's right," Elsa agreed. "I can't believe I'm twenty and still trick-or-treating." She didn't _really_ mind; any excuse to hang out with Anna was always a welcome excursion.

"But guys! FREE CANDY." Her usual argument. Really anything that had to do with chocolate was made Anna's priority. She suddenly unlinked herself from Elsa and skipped ahead, spinning in tight circles with her arms spread jovially, doing her best Peter Pan crow. "I wish I could fly!" The twin braids that poked out from underneath her feathered green hat were pulled horizontal as she spun. "I wish I could give you the fairy dust to do just that!" Elsa and Kristoff had stopped side-by-side to watch their friend, shaking their heads at her energy but amused all the same. She probably didn't need any sugar tonight, but who could ever say no to Anna?

Half an hour later, when Anna was satisfied with the weight of her pillowcase, the trio found themselves back at Anna's as usual, counting and sorting their spoils. Elsa collected all of her Reese's, KitKats, and Snickers and pushed them into Anna's pile. Her eyes grew wide at the gift. "Are you sure? Those are your favorite!"

"Yours too! Besides, I don't wanna get fat." Elsa was pleased at the reaction she'd elicited.

"Like you could ever!" Anna scoffed, throwing a Snickers bar back at her. Kristoff quickly snatched it up. "If you don't want it…"

Soon the gang had settled into another comfortable silence. Elsa was curled up at one end of the couch, paging through a giant illustrated Disney encyclopedia that she had found on the end table. Kristoff was dozing (5am barista shifts took their toll) - he laid flat on his back on the carpeted floor, fake beard askew and hook discarded a foot away. Anna was also sitting on the ground, back against the couch. Her legs, which were still clad in green tights, were spread out wide and her candy was in a pile between them. She was still sorting it, but eating a lot of it too. When it seemed she was full, she packed it away and got up to turn on the electric fireplace.

"What'cha reading?" she asked, hopping onto the couch next to Elsa. The blonde showed her the cover in answer.

"Someone gave that to me in middle school, but I've never looked through the whole thing."

"It's really cool," Elsa said, feeling Anna lean into her and rest her head on the older girl's shoulder. Elsa continued to turn the pages of the thick volume at regular intervals, making the occasional remark at random, trying not to be overcome by Anna's proximity. When they reached the index, Elsa shut the book with a thud. Anna yawned hugely, but did not move.

"Thanks for trick-or-treating with me," she said, nuzzling further into Elsa's side. Elsa's breath caught but she calmly slipped an arm around Anna's shoulders and squeezed affectionately. "Any time. I know you love it."

"You know what else I love? You!"

She was always surprising Elsa with adorable remarks like that. How Elsa was even alive after being smote with so much cute all the time was beyond her comprehension.

"I won't be able to see you again until your birthday," Anna continued, frowning. "That's a long time."

It was only a month, but Elsa agreed that it would be a long month. Before the the two friends left Anna's that night, the redhead gave both of them giant hugs, but Elsa was pleased to note that hers was a hair longer (and she'd like to think tighter too) than Kristoff's.

The next few weeks passed in a haze of classes and homework. She visited Kristoff when she was able, as the coffee shop was near campus and only slightly out of the way, but because Anna was thirty minutes away, seeing her was not an option. The random "I miss you!" texts sustained Elsa through the separation.

And then finally it was Elsa's 21st birthday. It fell the day before Thanksgiving so her roommate was gone, Anna was on break, and Kristoff had requested the night off. They were going to get _wasted_. Anna had offered to invite tons of people and make a cake - but Elsa wanted the shindig to be small. She wouldn't object to cake, though.

So the two showed up at Elsa's at eight on the twenty-seventh, bearing handfuls of cheap 21st birthday merchandise (shot glass, etc), all with humorous sayings on them.

"Happy birthday!" Anna squealed, lunging onto Elsa as soon as the blonde had opened the door. Then just as suddenly, she bustled past her friend and into the tiny kitchen.

Kristoff tugged Elsa into a hug as well, enveloping her slight frame in his bulky one and squeezing a little tighter than usual.

"Happy birthday, blondie," he said when they had pulled apart. He dropped his gifts on the tiny kitchen table."Shall we?"

"Anna, are you okay staying here while we go to the liquor store?" Elsa called to the redhead who was peering intently at the back of the box of cake mix, lip between her teeth.

"Yeah, yeah," she said vaguely, waving her hand at them without looking up.

Somewhat worried that her apartment might be in flames by the time they got back, she climbed into Kristoff's Honda and they set off.

"Kristoff?" Elsa said tentatively after they had finished jamming out and singing obnoxiously to Wrecking Ball and the radio station turned to commercial. She hesitated, not knowing how to broach the subject. He cocked his head inquisitively at her while still keeping his eyes locked on the road.

"Have you ever… liked Anna?"

There was a moment of silence, then he glanced over and burst out laughing. "It took you this long to notice?"

Elsa scowled, annoyed. "Well, I didn't want to assume anything!"

Kristoff continued to laugh, but it wasn't unkind. "I'm guessing you're about to tell me that you're in love with her too."

"How did you-"

"Elsa," he said, very seriously. "You're my best friend. We know each other better than we know ourselves. It's Anna's fault that she hasn't realized that her friends both have crushes on her."

"You make it sound awful," Elsa said, cringing. "Like we're trapped in the love triangle of a bad romantic comedy."

"Well, you see, if she doesn't ever love me back I can move on and she'd still be my friend. But I'm worried that you wouldn't be able to do that."

"What do you mean?" she asked sharply, but he cut her off. "BUT, I don't think you have to worry about that happening at all."

Elsa stared at his profile in disbelief, trying to make sense of this unusually deep conversation. He looked over at her, smiling gently.

"We're here."

Shaking herself of the conversation, she asked, "what should I get?"

"Just grab some vodka and we'll make mixed drinks."

She felt weird in the store, as though she didn't belong. Checking out made her nervous even though she knew she was of age and wouldn't be denied purchase. After peering at her ID suspiciously, the shopkeeper smiled and said, "happy birthday," then threw two free shots in the bag and with a wink told her to "have fun tonight."

"Cool!" Kristoff said as she climbed back in the passenger seat feeling oddly triumphant. They jammed out to pop music the whole trip back and everything between them seemed back to normal, but right before they entered the apartment, Kristoff stopped her.

"Hey, if anything happens tonight to either of us, no hard feelings. Deal?"

"Deal." Elsa was suddenly nervous but she loved Kristoff and appreciated his comradery a great deal.

Anna had the cake in the oven and was dancing to a playlist of club music when they returned.

"Yes, alcohol!" she said, extracting the paper bag from Elsa's arms and dancing it over to the table.

Anna suggested her and the birthday girl take the free shots first, and they did so with Kristoff tipping back a shot of the vodka. Elsa felt the warmth settle in her stomach as Kristoff hurried off to start mixing. She had drank a few times before, but had never been out of control, and tonight she had decided to let it go, come what may.

Six shots later and she couldn't even stand up she was so dizzy. Anna had matched her all night and was just as much of a lightweight. She was standing though - dancing lazily to a Lady Gaga song while Kristoff head-banged from the couch. As usual, Anna suddenly lost her balance and collapsed onto Kristoff's lap. Elsa, who was laying spread eagle on the ground threw back her head and laughed heartily but it died abruptly in her throat when she looked back and found her two best friends making out ferociously.

Despite her agreement with Kristoff at the beginning of the night, her heart fell into her stomach at the sight and she became queasy with jealousy. She got up as quickly as her intoxication would allow and bolted unsteadily for the front door.

"Excuse me," she called to the room at large and stumbled out onto the balcony just beyond the door. It was cold and had started to snow but Elsa didn't feel it. Actually, it was rather comforting.

She leaned on the railing, staring into the white night, heart pounding, trying not to puke.

A minute after her escape, the door behind her opened and closed again. There were footsteps and then Anna had joined her at the railing.

"It was hot in there," said Elsa before Anna could speak. She tried to get her voice to sound normal but it came out strangled.

"Elsa…" The blonde said nothing. "I'm sorry about that. I don't know what happened. He was there and then we were kissing…"

Elsa remained silent, watching the snow fall.

"I don't like Kristoff like that."

"It wouldn't matter to me if you did," Elsa finally spoke up, turning away.

"But I can tell that it does."

Anna's tone was earnest, genuine, affectionate. That was Anna in a nutshell. Elsa was beyond lucky to have her as a friend.

"Elsa," she said again, reaching over to take the blonde's cold hands. She tugged on them to get Elsa to turn back around and face her. Their eyes met and Anna's roamed her best friend's pale face, searching. "I don't like Kristoff like that because I like _you_ like that. It sucks that I had to be drunk to dig up enough courage to tell you, but... now you know."

Elsa could only stare at her in shock.

"Well? Say something. Tell me to shut up, go away, something, anything-"

"Anna," Elsa finally said. "I've _always_ liked you like that. How could I not?" She realized she was crying and she could see tears sparkling in Anna's eyes as well. The redhead laughed shakily in relief, then reached up to cup her best friend's cheek and leaned in to kiss her gently - nothing like the kiss Elsa just witnessed. It was a perfect, tender first kiss in the snow that was interrupted too soon when Kristoff emerged from the apartment.

"Get a room, you two. Preferably inside, where it's warm."

The girls broke apart and laughed but didn't let go of each other's hands as they moved to go back inside. The rest of the night consisted of dancing, cake eating, and a crazy drunken game of Apples to Apples. They finished off the night by putting in a movie during which the girls fell asleep on the floor tangled up in blankets and each other's limbs. Elsa's Thanksgiving Day hangover was well worth it.

They remained casual for a while, as they still couldn't see each other regularly. However, every day of Anna's winter break was spent together. One day, a few before Christmas, the girls stopped in to buy coffee from and talk for a while with Kristoff, to distract him from a holiday rush (at his request). When his manager had yelled at him for being away from the counter for too long they meandered hand-in-hand into the snowstorm that was raging outside. Snow had always been Elsa's favorite kind of weather; she loved the way one could get lost in it. But now with Anna by her side acting as her anchor in the storm, Elsa didn't need to get lost... nor did she have the desire to anymore.

She could trust that Anna would keep her safely in orbit.

* * *

_A/N_  
_Some fun facts:_  
_1. Almost every aspect of this chapter is based on experiences I've had with my crushes (on straight girls, I might add) over the years, except for the "actually getting together" part. I even have a tattoo on my left ankle but it's the Deathly Hallows symbol. Ha._  
_2. Speaking of, that symbol is a real thing. Google "World Triad". I was really bad at describing it so take a look if you want._  
_3. I had known from the beginning that I wanted to name this chapter 'Sweater Weather' but changed it at the last minute.  
4. I toyed with the idea of having them as sisters in this chapter but didn't feel like dealing with the complications it would have brought up (cough-r9kelsa-cough)  
5. I made Modern!Elsa's birthday November 27th, which is the day Frozen came out in the US!_

_Well, that was the last original. We're past the halfway mark! __Hope you liked the fluff because not all of the other stories have happy endings (as I'm sure you guessed). _Thanks again for coming with me on this journey through time!


	9. Dog Days Are Over

**BERLIN, 1944 **

It was déjà vu. The guests scattered around the flat, the bottles bedecking the dining room table, the radio blaring from the corner, the depth of the night, the war and peril raging around them. Several things, of course, were different. It was a warm May evening, in contrast to the cold snowstorm of New Year's Eve. There were no children to be paranoid of waking up - no, they had since been evacuated to the countryside. The most acute difference was that instead of waiting inside for the party, Elsa was outside while the party waited for her. The occasion was the anniversary of Elsa's birth. Anna had naturally decided to throw an extravaganza for her beloved and was now to be found in the very center of the living room, stock-still, waiting for the blonde to appear. Anna had finally discovered an opportunity to wear the tuxedo she had neglected on New Year's Eve. Looking and feeling extremely dapper in her tails and tophat, she couldn't have been anything other than the picture of perfect confidence and comfort.

It was not long after the redhead had began to wait that the door opened and Elsa stepped into her own flat. Anna immediately strode over to the blonde as Elsa shut the door behind herself, gazing around in wonder. The party had exploded into cheers and greetings - everyone except Anna who was grinning widely, cheeks bunching and eyes crinkling in pure joy. She reached Elsa and pulled the blonde into her arms, whispering "happy birthday" gently into her ear.

As instructed, Rapunzel turned off the radio and replaced the silence with a sophisticated waltz via gramophone that Anna had requested be played when Elsa had entered. Anna slipped back from their embrace only far enough to prime herself and Elsa for a dance. Once their hands were in place they set off around the living room of the flat, Anna in the lead. They swept past Rapunzel and the gramophone (she looked stolidly away although she was by now used to seeing Anna and her employer in bouts of romance), around the couches, and through the clusters of women.

"What are you wearing?" Elsa asked as they waltzed, the path they tread getting more lazy with each turn about the room.

"Do you like it?" Anna asked her, smiling mischievously up at her partner. The height difference wasn't awkward in the least. Anna's self-possessed certainty carried her in her role as the man in the waltz.

"Very much," was Elsa's reply.

Presently the song finished and Rapunzel had the radio back on, energetic jazz immediately filling the flat. The two women toppled onto the couch laughing as those around them began to dance and pass around drinks. Elsa flicked at the tails on Anna's jacket playfully and watched them flutter back down onto Anna's trouser-clad thigh. Anna watched her, smiling idly until Elsa glanced up and caught Anna's gaze.

"Thanks for the party," said Elsa, soft hands coming up to secure themselves on Anna's warm cheeks.

"Anything for you, my sweet," said Anna, and the two women leaned in mutually to share a simple, lingering kiss. It contained no lust - it was pure love. They had, after all, known each other so well and been together for so long that their needs and happiness were easily sated solely by each other's presence. Their lips parted slowly and Elsa's hands dropped from Anna's face. Anna straightened up to press a peck to her beloved's forehead. She once more wished the blonde a happy birthday before rising to mingle with the rest of the party, as it was her constitution to give attention to all.

Looking back, Anna would wish that she had stayed longer on that couch with Elsa if only she had known it would be one of the last cheerful moments they'd share.

The night culminated into a game of poker. Elsa didn't know how to play even after Anna's many attempts at teaching her, so she contented herself with sitting in Anna's lap, smoking a cigarette and observing. Anna's chin rested lightly on Elsa's shoulder as she reached around the blonde to hold her hand of cards in sight before her eyes. The chatter at the table was loud and dynamic, the topic at the moment was time. The women got oddly philosophical when they were intoxicated late at night.

"I've heard that time is an illusion," someone was saying.

"Everything's an illusion nowadays," said Rapunzel grumpily from across the table.

"The past is a dream and the future a mystery…" continued someone else.

"I'm excited for the future," piped up Elsa, kissing Anna on the cheek as the redhead leaned forward to place a card on the table.

"I'm frightened of it," said Rapunzel, glancing up from her own spread of cards to lock eyes with Anna for a split second of silent agreement.

"It's the past that's frightening," said another.

"Why?" interjected the woman who had started the conversation. "It's already gone."

"I'm talking about regret, the things you wish you had done."

"Or hadn't!"

The party continued to squabble over the merits of the past and future for the next several minutes until Anna, who had stayed silent throughout the discussion was accosted to give her opinion.

"What do you think, Anna?"

Without hesitation and with alacrity she said, "I don't care about either! I'm interested only in the present. I want now! Every moment as it comes - like this one for instance is pretty great." Her arms wound around Elsa's waist, as the blonde was still perched in her lap. Elsa giggled as Anna continued, "I want nows, and I want every one of them until I turn old and gray!" And this proclamation settled it.

Later, after Anna and Elsa had bid the party goodnight, the couple fell together into a last intimate romp. Everything was perfect and remained so until the sun rose. Anna heard but did not register the door open in her half-awake state. She lay naked on her stomach, arm draped across Elsa's bare torso next to her. The sound of the latch was not something she noticed, but the masculine roar of fury that arose from the doorway was sufficient in startling her onto her hands and knees. Beside her Elsa sat up quickly, clutching the bedclothes to cover her exposed front.

"What the hell is this?"

"Hans!" Elsa said, terrified. Anna did the first thing she could think of - she leapt off of the bed and began dressing in haste, ignoring the shame prickling her cheeks at having been caught in bed by her lover's husband. Anna could hear Elsa's quaking breaths behind her, but Elsa had not moved. Anna had just thrown the man's shirt around her shoulders when she heard footsteps and then Hans was grabbing her upper arm in a vice grip and heaving her through the flat, though she was only half-dressed.

"Get out!" he snarled into her face before chucking her out of the door. Had she not caught herself on the railing of the stairs, Anna was sure she would have plunged down five stories to the worn stone floor far below. The door slammed and she heard him shouting. Unsure of what exactly to do, she shakily continued to dress on the landing, buttoning up her shirt and shrugging on the jacket with its tails. The top hat was discarded somewhere in the living room but it was beyond retrieval. Though muffled, Anna could hear perfectly well what the married couple were shouting at each other.

"... ON THE FRONT LINES RISKING MY LIFE, I COME HOME FOR MY WIFE'S BIRTHDAY TO FIND AN ATROCITY…"

Anna stayed long enough to hear Elsa shove a threat of divorce at Hans and for him to menace her with a call for the Gestapo to take away his homosexual wife and lock her up in a concentration camp. Anna knew barging back into the flat could very well get them both killed - she would be tried as a Jew and a homosexual - and there would be no use for that. No - she decided as she fled down the stairs, disheveled hair flying behind her - she could never see Elsa again, there was too much at stake, it was too much of a risk. She didn't cry - she knew she was saving both of their lives by staying away and was glad to have made such a decision.

For the next two months, Anna lived in a caustic state of numbness. Everything hurt, but she was strong. Kai asked more and more often after her well-being. She began sleeping with Rapunzel again out of pure loneliness but it only proved to hurt Anna more.

Everything came to to head on July 20th - the Führer had been assassinated, a bomb had gone off - Hilter was finally dead! Anna found she could breathe again. Internally, she rejoiced as all of Berlin rose up in disbelief - were they going to lose this never-ending war? Anna did not care. She took to the streets and found herself walking straight for Elsa - mounting the stairs to the flat, finding the door unlocked - the danger was over, surely, now that the Führer was dead.

Elsa was sitting rigid on the couch in the living room. The radio was on and the blonde was listening intently. When Elsa heard someone enter, she stood and turned. When she perceived her intruder, Elsa's face brightened instantly even through her shock.

"You… you're here."

Anna sighed, all of the tension, fear, and anxiety escaped through the exhale, as it always had around Elsa, and her face broke into a smile. The women ran to each other, embracing and kissing fiercely when they met in the center of the room. After an interminable amount of time lost to passion, they broke apart. Elsa's blue eyes sparkled with tears.

"What a wonderful day," Elsa breathed. "You're here and the Führer's alive…"

"He's what?" Anna snapped, dropping her hands from where they had cupped Elsa's jaw.

"He's alive! Everything's all right."

Anna backed away from the blonde, suddenly realizing whose voice was emanating ominously from the radio.

"..._this attempt on my life has the SS redoubling its efforts to apprehend any remaining traitors hiding in our midst_…"

Anna was going to be sick. Her knees buckled and she dropped to the carpet clutching her stomach.

"Anna? What's wrong?"

Elsa was there, kneeling beside her, hands encircling Anna's shaking shoulders. Elsa's worried expression was inches from Anna's hyperventilating face.

"We can't - we can't be together-"

For a glorious half day Anna could breathe; a piece of heaven had descended through the madness. She had glimpsed Eden and then just as soon it had been cruelly ripped away from her. What had she done to deserve this? She didn't ask for much - just happiness.

"Anna. Hans is dead - he went down in France. He can't turn us in." Between each phrase Elsa was kissing away the tears that Anna had not realized that she'd shed. "Everything will be all right!"

"No, it won't!" Anna yelled, pushing Elsa away forcefully and standing. The blonde, surprised, blinked up at Anna in a confusion which promptly turned to hurt. Anna twisted away at the sight and sobbed harder.

The voice from behind Anna came hard and sharp. "Here I was, prepared to forgive and forget that you abandoned me, left me alone for months." Elsa's voice was surprisingly even. "I waited for you all that time, hurting and wondering if you were even still alive and this is how you're going to thank me?"

There was a moment devoid of sound save for the monstrous radio broadcast and once more Anna could only think of one thing to do. Sniffling, arms wrapped protectively around her own torso, she started for the door.

"Yes, just leave again, that'll solve everything!" Finally, Elsa's voice broke with emotion and Anna stopped. "There will always be something that I'm not allowed to know, won't there?"

Anna spun slowly to face Elsa. The blonde was crying freely but glaring across the room at the other woman all the same.

"Elsa..." Anna said, pausing horribly. Elsa continued to glower and Anna forced herself to spew the confession she'd been hiding from her beloved all that time. "I'm Jewish."

The statement hung heavily in the air like the bomb dropped by an air raider right before its detonation. When Elsa did not react, Anna once more made to leave the flat. In three long strides, however, Elsa had Anna in her arms and was muttering, "don't leave me," into the auburn hair under her lips. The phrase was repeated over and over like a mantra while Anna properly broke down and the pair dissolved into each other's arms.

It soon became clear to Anna that although Elsa had accepted her completely for what she was and all was fine on that front there was a more serious and terrifying prospect looming over them. In the light of the attempt on the Führer's life, Anna and the rest of the her resistance friends could no longer hide in Berlin and would have to evacuate very speedily or risk capture. It was this realization that found, despite Elsa's violent protests, Anna, Rapunzel and the rest boarding a train out of Germany with counterfeit passports. The train was due to leave any moment, but Elsa refused to let go of the hold she had on Anna, even with Rapunzel tugging impatiently at the redhead's sleeve.

"I can't stay, Elsa, I'll only endanger us," Anna was saying for the last time. "I'll come back to you once this is all over."

Anna didn't really believe her own words but hoped Elsa would - at least for the moment. She was relieved when the blonde nodded. Anna hastily pulled out a flowered handkerchief, the only possession she owned to give away, and stuffed it into Elsa's hands. "To remember me by."

The train whistled to indicate eminent departure. "I love you."

"I love you, too." They kissed one last time before Rapunzel finally managed to tug Anna onto the train just as it started to shift forward. The platform was sliding out from under the locomotive as Anna leaned out from the door, solemnly watching her beloved Elsa disappear forever. The golden hair blinked in the sun and waved Anna goodbye on the wind.

As Rapunzel urged her to come inside the carriage and take a seat, Anna wondered vaguely how many times a heart could break before it gave up completely.

* * *

_A/N: I must have been reading too much_ A Formal Arrangement _recently, because it almost pained me to have Anna in a suit instead of Elsa. Oh well. Also, yes I know I totally stole the "nows" part from that last scene in_ Aimee and Jaguar _b__ut it's my FAVORITE._


	10. Life's for the Living

**ARIZONA TERRITORY, 1880**

Elsa groaned in acute misery as the coach hit a particularly bumpy patch of the dirt road. Anna tightened her grip on her partner's hand in reassurance and comfort as the blonde's free hand reached over to tangle a fist of auburn hair into her fingers, using Anna as a sort of anchor - or lifeline.

"Elsa, I'm so sorry," Anna said again. Another spasm of pain wracked the blonde and Anna flinched as the fingers in her hair gave an involuntary tug. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have provoked him, but you know me, I never think and... Elsa! I'm so stupid! And now you're hurt."

"It doesn't matter," said the older girl, cracking open her weary eyes to fix her partner in crime with a glazed, watery stare. "At least you're all right." Anna watched the corners of Elsa's mouth twitch as though in an attempt to smile but the expression was lost when Elsa cringed again, releasing Anna's hair to press a palm to her own bullet-ridden side.

"How can I help you?" Anna breathed, holding in her panic as she had done the entire coach ride so far. Elsa shook her head, eyes shut tight, telling Anna that she didn't know. Anna scooted toward Elsa and took a deep, shaky breath.

"Do you remember how we met? In that awful saloon." Anna figured distraction would be the best option for comforting her partner at the present. "Remember? I had come in looking for a cheap place to sleep because I was alone but while I was at the counter a man approached me…"

The man, sidling aggressively up to the redhead, had forcibly flung a large and heavy hand around her narrow shoulders as she inquired to the owner about a bed.

"Excuse me," she had said petulantly, quickly shrugging the weight off. When Anna turned back to the owner, the man had gripped her twin braids painfully and possessively. The effect was instantaneous - in seconds the redhead had him on the floor, broad and heaving chest under her boot heel. Being brought up by her father and older brothers had granted her with a keen sense of militant combativeness which she rarely used but masked right under the surface in case conditions as such should arise. Anna had pinned the man down and was fixing her mussed braids when he lashed out in anger from beneath her. He rolled and simultaneously swept Anna's feet out from under her with a well-aimed kick.

She had fallen hard into a body - a woman - Elsa. The blonde had staggered from the force but caught Anna all the same. After a moment of confused and suspended eye-contact, the mysterious woman had set Anna back on her feet and promptly hoisted a nearby chair and hurled it at the man who had been scrambling back to his feet. This successfully began a brawl in which the entire saloon participated and ended with the two women decidedly expelled from the establishment. A quick introduction found both Anna and Elsa friendless and in desperate need of income - and thus their partnership was born. Had it really been two years since that first escapade?

"We caused a riot," Elsa said, smiling weakly. Anna took this expression of tenderness as a sign that her distraction was working.

"You mean _you_ caused a riot."

Elsa gave a chuckle which evolved into a cough that had the blonde curling up on herself in pain. Anna, petrified, could only watch helplessly and squeeze the clammy hand she held until they subsided.

"Elsa?" Anna said uncertainly.

"Continue with the story," Elsa prompted gently. She lifted the hand from her side and made as if to touch Anna's face, but seeing that it was stained with dark blood, quickly tucked it behind herself and out of sight. Anna pretended not to have seen this gesture, though her heart dropped into her stomach.

She found she couldn't continue. Instead she said, "Elsa, I've never been more scared."

"Never? Not even for our first hold-up?" The words sounded forced as Elsa let them out in one breath.

"No, that was fun!" Anna had set upon comforting Elsa, but now the blonde was distracting Anna from her own emotional pain. Anna plowed on, retelling the story as though Elsa had not been present at the event. She recalled waiting impatiently (as later became habit) on the abandoned feed grain's roof for the coach, remembered the smell of the dust, the heat of the sun, distant rumble of a team of horses. At length, she was in another time and place, the interior of the musty coach forgotten as the memory engulfed her. She spoke as though in a trance, detailing the fashion in which the wind swirled the earth below, nudged the clouds, and displaced Elsa's loose golden braid from her shoulder. She recounted how the coach had finally come racing into view, how Elsa had grinned and yelled "watch this!" before sprinting at the edge of the feed grain, hurling herself off of it without hesitation. Though the coach was moving fast, her timing was so impeccable that she managed to land perfectly on the driver, pitching him off of his perch in the process. Anna and been so impressed that she had been rendered speechless and it wasn't until Elsa had pointed out the red-tipped pistol among their spoils and urged her to claim it did Anna react at all.

It was here that Anna stopped in her story and felt a pang as she realized her prized pistol was all but lost now, still laying on the side of the road where it had fallen from Hans' grip.

"The pistol… it's gone." Within an hour she had given up the reward from her first hold-up and the flowered handkerchief that reminded her of her parents. Now that it was very possible that she was about to lose Elsa too and it seemed unbearable and unfair that so much could change in so short a time.

The sweaty hand in hers tightened and Anna knew it was Elsa's silent commiseration.

"This is all my fault," said Anna, continuing on her track from before. "If you hadn't let me tag along on your robberies this never would have happened."

"Anna, look at me." Anna's head, which had hung while she berated herself, snapped up to meet a surprisingly ferocious gaze from those blue eyes. "Stop blaming yourself. I wouldn't have let anyone else come along with me and asking_ you_ to do so was the best decision I've ever made."

When she had finished her protest Elsa slumped back onto the seat cushions and closed her eyes, drained from the effort she had put into the outburst. Anna was stunned into tears once more and the remainder of the coach ride was spent in a quiet only broken by the redhead's sniffling. Eventually the coach slowed to a stop and Kristoff opened the door to the cab. Anna had not realized how dim it had been in the small space until late evening sunlight was streaming into it. She clambered out, blinking, legs numb from sitting on them in order to be level with Elsa on the cushions.

"We're at the physician's. Help me carry her inside."

Striving not to jostle the blonde, the unlikely pair - stagecoach driver and robber - shuffled inside with Elsa dangling between them. The sounds Anna's partner made as they transported her cut Anna to the quick, and this combined with the putrid stench of blood, bile, and illness inside the building threatened to overwhelm her. She couldn't decide if she'd rather faint or retch. They managed to heave Elsa onto a cot before they were shooed away by the doctor, who promised to retrieve them after he had assessed the patient and acted accordingly. Under ordinary circumstances Anna would have stubbornly protested, but she felt exceptionally ill and knew fresh air would do well to cure her.

Fortunately, her head did clear as she stepped outside and immediately began to fret because knew that Elsa would not be so easily cured.

"I hope your friend makes it," Kristoff commented evenly. He had followed her out onto the porch and ambled over to the railing, standing with a foot rested on the bottom-most rung.

"Me too," said Anna unnecessarily in a strangled voice and collapsed ungracefully on the wooden steps. Wrapping her arms around the posts that lined the steps, she realized it would be a good time to give in and break down once more, but she found she was too worried and tired to cry. Instead, she contented herself with staring at the dirt at her feet and tracing the patterns that it formed. She was stirred from her reverie when Kristoff began to pace, the floorboards creaking under his dusty boots.

"Thanks again," she said but did not turn to face the driver. She kept repeating herself today as though she could not think of anything else to say. She was too weary to correct the repetition and plowed on. "For everything. I honestly don't know why you're helping us.

"I'm not sure that I do, either," he said. He clumped over to the stairs and settled himself next to Anna. She did not acknowledge his proximity.

"What will you do if-"

"Don't say it," Anna snapped. She was desperately trying to keep the pieces of herself from falling apart. Her tone softened. "Please don't say it."

"Sorry," said the coach driver, fidgeting guiltily.

Silence fell on the pair and Anna wondered whether she should barge back inside and demand to hold Elsa's hand or if she would fall ill again upon entry and remain useless. As she was deliberating however, the door creaked open behind them and the physician stepped out onto the porch. Anna scrambled to her feet, tripping as she approached the man. Her mouth opened to form a string of questions but he held up a hand to suspend the interrogation.

"You may attend the patient. I must warn you that she's in a bad way. The operation did not go well and although the bullet has been extracted… the woman is failing."

Anna stood motionless as a ringing filled her ears and her gaze slipped out of focus. She felt large hands steadying her and realized that she had stumbled and Kristoff had caught her.

"You should go now." The doctor moved aside for Kristoff to half-carry the redhead back inside. He deposited her on the floor by Elsa's cot where she was forced to kneel, once more an observer of her wounded partner's suffering.

"Anna?" Elsa grumbled, clearly addled from morphine. Her pale hand groped blindly for her partner and the redhead assisted, catching the hand and locking their fingers together.

"How are you doing?" Anna asked, though she knew the answer.

"I've been better." Elsa chuckled sadly, weakly.

"Anna?" came a soft voice from behind her. Kristoff had found her a stool. She took it gratefully and slid it under herself.

"Thank you. You don't have to stay," she said kindly.

"All right." He turned to go but was halfway across the room when he paused and added, "if you need me, I'll be staying at the inn down the road. Please find me if you're left alone."

Anna said nothing and tried to hide the fact that his words had prickled her eyes with tears again as she heard him take his leave. Her attention returned to Elsa, intent on her partner's comfort.

She told Elsa stories as the sun set outside the window. Some were a handful that her brothers and father had told her when she was younger, before they had died - these were about heroes with amazing strength and stamina. Some were recollections of real-life adventures she'd had with Elsa - those told with humor even brought on a faint smile or two. And some were entirely crafted from her own mind - these talked of ships and princes and all had happy endings. As she talked, she gripped Elsa's hand and watched her closely - the blonde's eyes were closed but Anna marveled at the sight of her chest rising and falling. Even laborious breathing was a sign of life and therefore a relief to Anna, even small and temporary.

Time whittled away, as it does when one wishes it to slow, and Anna felt herself dozing, her eyelids drooping without her consent. Her latest story had ended and there was a silence as Anna listened to Elsa's increasingly shallow breathing.

"Anna…" said the blonde suddenly, softly. So soft, in fact, that Anna almost didn't hear it. She leaned in as Elsa carried on, "promise me that you'll take care of yourself."

"Don't talk like that," Anna said harshly, too harshly. "You're not going to die, you are not allowed to say goodbye. I won't let you."

The tears came thick and fast. Elsa's acceptance of her own fate was too much and too certain for Anna. The hand that reached for the redhead's cheek was cold as death and Anna had to restrain herself from cringing away from it, away from truth.

"Promise me," Elsa pressed on, summoning what seemed to be the last of her strength. "You are too important for me to let you waste away. Take the driver's offer - I know you can trust him because he has that same kindly gleam in his eye that you do. Promise me?"

Anna nodded into the palm at her cheek, tears leaping from her face and dripping from her chin. This was enough commitment for Elsa and she let her hand drop limply from Anna's face. The pale lids fluttered shut over glazed eyes. Anna relieved Elsa's hand and draped the arm instead over the older woman, carefully avoiding the fresh bandages swathing her torso. Anna buried her face into the crook of Elsa's neck and she felt cool lips on her forehead before she was whisked into a dreamless sleep.

Day had broken when Anna woke. Wisps of blonde, almost white, hair floated in her view. "Elsa?" she said groggily, sitting up and rubbing her eyes with the heel of her hand. When she looked down at her partner, she knew… she knew, but she said the name anyway, she shook the lifeless shoulders despite knowing that there would be no rousing the woman. Elsa would not wake because she had slipped away in the night and left Anna all alone, just like Anna's father and brothers had.

After paying the doctor in the gold from the robbers' final hold-up together, Anna, good on her promise, sought out the stagecoach driver. He took one look at the redhead and understood exactly what had transpired in the night.

They buried Elsa in an unmarked grave on the outskirts of the town. Kristoff faded into the background to let Anna grieve and was surprised when she addressed him from her position before the mound of freshly dug earth.

"I'm glad she wasn't alone when she… went. That would have been the worst thing." She sniffled and raised an arm to wipe her nose on her sleeve.

"Did she have any family?"

"No, all dead. She only had me."

"What about your family?"

"Dead. We only had each other and now I'm alone again..."

She once more dissolved into anguish and Kristoff came forward to comfort her.

"You're more than welcome to come with me. Free room and board as long as you clean up after the horses."

Despite her despair, Anna gave him a watery smile.

"And then you wouldn't be alone. No one has to be, you know. I could use the company myself - the team only gives so much stimulating conversation."

"Are you sure I wouldn't be in your way?"

"On the contrary."

"How can you trust me?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "But I do. Quit asking me those questions, if I didn't want to have anything to do with you I wouldn't have helped you yesterday and I wouldn't be here now. I think the real question is: can you trust yourself?"

The next morning found Anna perched next to Kristoff as he whipped the horses into motion and soon they were lurching out of the town. As they passed the spot where Elsa had been laid to rest, Anna raised a hand and Kristoff removed his hat in respect for the fallen. Anna had said goodbye to all of the people that she loved, but as she turned back to face the road that stretched before her, she felt that the next phase of her life would be another strange and new adventure - even if her favorite partner in crime would not be able to share it with her.

* * *

_A/N: And you guys thought the last chapter was sad. As Stephen King once said: "Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler's heart, kill your darlings."_


	11. Ships in the Night

**ATLANTIC OCEAN, 1720**

Elsa couldn't remember a time in her previous life as a merchant's daughter when she felt more free - the world was open to her to devour and she consumed it greedily like she would the first bite of ration after enduring an extended fast. She was aware of her past life and found she didn't miss any part of it, save her father, and she suffered no guilt for her disregard. Hadn't her father explicitly bid her have an adventure? Well here she was, letting it all go. Being kidnapped by pirates was perhaps the single-most stimulating incident Elsa could ever hope to boast of.

The business of conversion to the lifestyle of buccaneer yielded an interesting blend of physical, social, and psychological training the likes of which Elsa could have scarcely imagined. She had not, after all, anticipated in her wildest dreams that she would be a part of the crew of an infamous pirate ship and under the command of a female captain who was incidentally younger than Elsa herself. Fortunately, the rigorous training she had to undergo was not done alone. Olaf had taken the news that he must become a pirate or die with even more enthrallment than Elsa had. With boyish exuberance, he withstood every trial that the first mate Kristoff threw at the pair and his innocent charm and frankness captivated every crewmember on the ship, thus earning both Elsa and Olaf a rapid assimilation into the "pirate family."

Elsa, though friendly with Kristoff and the others, only had eyes for one person - Captain Anna. Although not shy in the least, the captain was oddly hard to find on a ship that only had so many places to hole up in. Even though Elsa was constantly on the lookout for the woman, Captain Anna could rarely be found. Elsa's efforts awarded her fleeting glances of red plaits disappearing around corners and snippets of the boisterous sound of her laughter from behind closed doors. Elsa was unsure what she would even do if she ever actively engaged the captain or came face-to-face with her after so many days of mild pursuit - the mystery was half of the allure.

Then one night Elsa was stretched out on the quarterdeck, stargazing as per usual with both of her hands crooked behind her head for leverage and to give some comfort to her stiff position on the wooden floorboards. The helm rocked lightly by her feet and if Elsa craned her neck forward she could see the wheel and imagine Captain Anna standing at it, steering with reckless abandon, that wild glint in her eye. Olaf had refused to join Elsa that night because Kristoff had promised to instruct him on the basics of poker, and the boy did not want to pass up another means of corruption. The sky was cloudless, the multitudes of stars acting as sentinels over the _Revenge_ and her inhabitants. Elsa found herself becoming wistful as she often did in the silence and presence of the vastness of the heavens.

She ached for her father (even though she adored her new life) and hoped ardently that he was doing well and wasn't missing his daughter too much. If there was one regret to come out of this, it was that she could not continue to the West Indies and secure his wares. Leaving him ill and poor was almost unbearable. The upside to piracy was a share in the spoils of the whole crew, but figuring out a means of sending gold back home was an entirely different story.

Boards creaked from below Elsa as someone climbed the steps to the quarterdeck. The merchant's daughter stiffened but stayed where she was, waiting to see if whoever it was would emerge and discover her position.

The footsteps stopped. Then: "What are you doing up here at this hour, Sailor?"

Elsa started and sputtered: "Captain Anna!"

The captain had her hands on her hips and was smirking at Elsa despite having used a irate tone in addressing her. Intimidated, Elsa scrambled to her feet, her face hot.

"I was surveying the sky… for practical purposes. Weather patterns and all that."

"Oh really?" The captain had ascended the last step and was slowly circling Elsa like a predator. Elsa felt the flush in her cheeks flare up into her ears as her eyes trailed the captain's progress around the quarterdeck. With alarm, Elsa watched the captain reach a hand to the sword hilt at her belt and slowly extract the weapon with a metallic ring. "Do you know what the punishment is for lying on this ship?"

Elsa swallowed hard and merely shook her head in the negative, unable to speak.

The captain approached Elsa, who remained frozen in place, and let her sword run up the outside of Elsa's pant leg. When it reached her hand, Elsa blanched and retracted her fingers as the sword was dropped from her side.

"Let me tell you a secret." At this, the captain resumed her steady trail around Elsa, sword still held loosely in her grip. Elsa pivoted on the spot, so as to keep the blade and its owner in sight. "We don't have a punishment for that particular offense."

The captain came to a halt and met Elsa's eyes for a moment before bursting into laughter and re-holstering the sword.

"But I sure scared you, didn't I?" She was almost crowing with delight at the pallid face of her shipmate. Words were lost on Elsa and she merely stared at her captain's mirth.

"I really do want to know what you were doing though. For curiosity's sake." Captain Anna swiveled completely to face Elsa and cocked her head to the side, anticipating an answer.

"If you must know," Elsa said, slightly annoyed at being startled by the captain's feigned assault. "I am fond of the stars." At this she gestured vaguely at the dark sky overhead.

Captain Anna glanced up to consider the dots of light above, scrutinizing them like they were a particularly difficult arithmetic question.

"They are pleasing to the eye," the captain said finally, sitting down cross-legged on the floor. She looked up at Elsa and gestured for the merchant's daughter to accompany her.

Elsa was enlightened considerably by her conversation with Captain Anna that night. She learned that Anna had inherited the title from the former captain of the _Revenge_, a man who had been like a father to her and Kristoff, who were both orphans. Anna had been the first mate at the time of her predecessor's death and only nineteen. Fortunately, the crew had no qualms about this appointment and put up no resistance. Anna had been captain since, and this marked the third year in which the fiery redhead commanded the vessel. A ship of pirates could not have a more enthusiastic or passionate leader, in Elsa's opinion.

Elsa's own history was then disclosed and to Elsa's surprise, the captain became somber at the knowledge that her captive's retention was detaining her from her dying father. A sensitivity lived inside of the outgoing captain and the new layer captivated Elsa even more.

It wasn't until clouds began to overtake that which they observed and a cold wind appeared did the two women end their conversation and retreat to their quarters. Captain Anna took the liberty of walking Elsa to the hold in which Olaf's and her cot was kept, even though the route was in the completely opposite direction from the captain's cabin. Anna's expression as Elsa reached for the door gave the merchant's daughter pause. Elsa waited patiently for the captain to speak.

"We haven't had another woman on this ship since I was a little girl. Having you about, Elsa…" the merchant's daughter felt chills go down her spine at the use of her name. "...allows me a sort of pleasure… one I had forgotten. I apologize for stealing you from your father, but I hope the _Revenge_ will treat you as kindly as it has I."

The captain reached up to awkwardly grab hold of Elsa's upper arm, gave it a squeeze and then turned to stalk away. Elsa was still fixed to the spot, hand on the door to the hold, when Olaf came upon her.

"Elsa?" he was a bit drunk on rum. "What're you doing?"

"Nothing at all. Let's get to bed."

* * *

The first real test of Elsa and Olaf's piracy training came a week after the stargazing incident with Captain Anna.

Olaf was attempting to teach her poker on deck. Elsa was only half listening to his instructions, hopelessly distracted as she was by the wind whipping the red plaits and material draped loosely around the slim figure at the helm. At the time when Elsa was about to surrender her hand and abandon the game, a shout went up from the crow's nest - the lookout had spotted another merchant vessel. Kristoff sprinted past the pair from his previous position near the bow. It was obvious that his presence was needed at his captain's side.

One quick glance was all Elsa needed to ascertain that same excited look she had seen on Anna the stormy night that the captain had abducted Elsa and Olaf. Anna spun the wheel sharply and the Revenge lurched starboard in haste to obey her will.

"Gunners, man the cannons!" More shouts went up as the crew hurried to their positions. Olaf, with an excited squeak, scrambled down below deck with the gunners to act as their powder monkey. It was then that Elsa remembered her own duties and joined the boatswain at the foremast.

"And heave!" At the command Elsa and the other sailors tugged hard at the ropes in their grips. The heavy line rubbed Elsa's slender hands raw but she didn't relinquish her hold. The wish to impress the captain occurred suddenly and without warning and it accorded Elsa a newfound strength.

Soon the _Revenge_ was astride the merchant ship, bearing down mercilessly.

"FIRE!" screamed Captain Anna and cannons burst forth, the bombardment cracking and splintering the hull of the ship alongside of the pirate's. Volley after volley smashed into the merchant vessel, debris soaring through the salty air and splashing into the restless navy sea below.

"Ready to board!"

The crew drew swords all along the deck and began to utter aggressive cries of attack. Elsa drew her own blade, wishing now that she had had more sparring experience. She listened to the heart pounding fiercely in her chest and eyed the gap between the two ships that she would need to leap.

Then, there was an arm wrapped around her waist -it was none other than Captain Anna, grinning eagerly, rope in hand. "Ready?" The captain didn't wait for a response - she took off, hauling Elsa behind her. Before Elsa knew it, the pair had run and vaulted side-by-side off of the Revenge and swung safely onto the deck of the merchant ship. The women had led the charge and the rest of the pirate crew was now landing around them, all still yelling a barrage of intimidating hollers. Anna released Elsa and set about assailing the sailors around them, blade flashing. Elsa had never seen anything so beautiful as the skill and intensity with which the captain duelled. It was as though the sword in her hand was only an extension of her limb, metal and flesh one in the same.

"Hey!" The clanging of a sword above Elsa's head and then Kristoff was pulling her away from an aggressor. "This is no time for daydreaming!"

Elsa shot him an apologetic and grateful look and commenced engagement of a nearby sailor in combat. Her own dueling skills proved far below Captain Anna's. They were in fact nauseatingly sub par and Elsa found herself not only fearing for her life because of it, but dreading Anna's remarks if the captain saw her abominable swordsmanship.

She managed to brush off one sailor but another caught and pinned her against the wooden sideboard, his blade across hers as she struggled to shove away his weight. Reduced to her last resort, she lifted a leg and stomped down, crushing the man's toes under her heavy boot heel. He cringed away, releasing the force he had pressed upon her. She knocked her sword against his and he staggered backward, falling sluggishly. Loosing a cry of triumph, she spun to regard the rest of the melee on the deck but was no sooner struck in the jaw by an elbow and thrown against the sideboard once more. A prompt kick to the chest had her falling astern, the world twisted upside down until she was enveloped in cold, dense water.

Stunned, Elsa let herself float for a few seconds as she grasped the fact that she had been mauled overboard. With a kick, she surfaced and panic set in as she beheld the massive ships heaving at either side of her. The waves churned by the great vessels buffeted her, threatening to thrust her under again. With every surge of seawater, the distance between herself and the ships increased. She tread water, letting the current carry her, knowing she didn't have the energy necessary to swim closer.

Then, an object hit the water a few yards away - attached was a rope. The crew members on the Revenge must have seen her fall and sent her a line on a piece of wood. What emerged from the depths, however, was in fact Captain Anna. The captain had personally dived in to rescue Elsa - the merchant's daughter felt her throat close up in wonder and fierce appreciation.

The redhead swam over to where Elsa tread - the rope was tied around the captain's waist.

"You're more trouble than you're worth," Anna panted as she neared, but she was smirking.

Soft hands gripped Elsa's waist and the captain pressed herself close. She tugged on the line that attached her to the _Revenge_ and the pair began to move toward it as crew members dragged them upward.

When the women hit the deck, soaking and gasping for breath, they collapsed on their backs, not bothering to disentangle their legs from one another. Elsa saw that the merchant ship was being allowed to drift away.

"Did- did we- get what we- wanted?" Elsa had to take a breath between each word in order to speak.

"We had to abandon the operation," Kristoff said grumpily from above the women. "Apparently the Captain believed you to be a more important asset than all the gold we could have obtained."

The first mate trudged away. Anna let her head slump to the side on which Elsa lay and huffed, "excuse his jealousy - he knows well enough that I would not do him the same kindness were he to fall overboard... he is entirely capable of rescuing himself, of course."

"But I would have the decency not to go over in the first place!" Kristoff called from the stern.

"Elsa, are you okay?" Olaf's black hair and bright eyes appeared above Elsa, blocking her view of the blue sky. "I heard you fell overboard!"

"I would rather you did not mention it," groaned Elsa, sitting up and rubbing her head. Anna began to laugh and Elsa glowered at her out of the corner of her eye.

"Say, Captain?" Olaf turned to Anna. "Since the danger's passed, would you teach me how to steer the _Revenge_? You did promise."

"I always keep my promises," the captain said, standing and ruffling the boy's dark and already messy locks. "Care to join us, Elsa?"

If Elsa thought the sunset from her first merchant ship was a spectacle, it was nothing compared to a sunset from the helm of the _Revenge_. With wheel in hand, wind in her face, and Captain Anna at her side, freedom and euphoria spurred her on and she was sure that in such conditions she could excel at any endeavor - she could even catch the horizon.

* * *

_A/N: BAH I HAD SO MUCH FUN WITH THIS. It was written while listening to the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack on repeat. That's how epic I am._


	12. Burning Bridges

**LONDON, 1620**

A cock crowed relentlessly outside of the window at daybreak. Elsa searched blindly for her straw pillow or some other object to throw at the offending racket, but her fingers located only air. Bewildered, she rose onto her hands and blearily contemplated her surroundings. A thumping pain in her head announced itself as her eyes caught the brilliant sunlight streaming through the window and if she squinted she could discern the colorful plumage belonging to the vexatious rooster beyond the grimy panes of glass.

She turned her throbbing head and became aware that she was lying topsy-turvy on her bed; her pillow was near the headboard, as it should, but at the present her feet had the pleasure of occupying its luxury rather than her pain-stricken head. Discontent, she kicked at the pillow and it landed with an unceremonious flump on the floor.

Rolling onto her back, she shielded her watering eyes from the glare from beyond the window and labored to remember exactly the reason for her abrupt collapse into bed. It came in tableaus at first; the performance at the King's Court, her final bray as the Ox, drinking at the pub, even further drinking, escorting Kristoff to his home, the fortuitous conversation with Lady Anna…

Elsa lurched upright into a sitting position, ignoring the throb of protest in her head. Lady Anna, wife of a member of Court, the Lady whose contingent meeting with Elsa on a road at night had sparked an overwhelming desire to perform well that day, to impress, and had most surprisingly yielded in the actor a tremendous enthusiasm for the day ahead. She had never known such a reaction whilst suffering from the shakes, an aftereffect from the over-consumption of ale the night before. She felt her chest swell and a smile tug at her lips from the anticipation and she practically vaulted out of the bed. No notice was bestowed upon the blonde hair in the messy braid, and luckily her negligence was such that she was already dressed upon waking.

In her haste to appear at the theatre, Elsa was shamefully early. Sven was the only soul present, and he could be found backstage in a fitful slumber on a pile of costumes. It could only be assumed that he had attempted to organize the theatrical articles the actors had haphazardly forsaken the day before and promptly fallen to sleep without accomplishing his task. Elsa observed a bottle held tightly in her troupe master's fist and knew the true reason for his current unconsciousness, a state which so happened to be the only sort of repose she could get from his sardonic wheedling.

In lieu of another occupation for her free time, Elsa allowed herself to meander from the gloomy backstage area and out into the house. The lamps were unlit but the sunlight which filtered through the cracks in the doors and windows served to give at least faint outlines to the space, such that Elsa could walk about without obstacle. Her feet scuffed up dirt from the pit beneath her and she gazed up at the stage. This position away from the raised platform on which the troupe acted raised a peculiar sight for the actor, who was not often used to being on the outside looking in. She contemplated the hard lines of their backdrop, the setting for the herdsman and his Ox. With a slight lurch in her stomach, she regarded the stain that was the splatter of fruit from their previous performance in the space. The sheer extent of the crowd's discontent was still a fresh sting.

Placing her palms on the edge of the platform, Elsa hoisted herself onto the stage and straightened. She turned to face the empty space which during a performance would be filled by hundreds of faces that would all blend into one and she began to recite her favorite monologue. It was Shakespeare, almost twenty years old now, but it was one of the first she heard and could memorize - she used to practice it day and night and still knew it as well as if it had been printed into her very own skin.

"_It is not the fashion to see the lady the epilogue; but it is no more unhandsome than to see the lord the prologue_."

Although she had not recited it in some time, the words came just as readily to her tongue as if she had practiced them the hour preceding. Sven was horribly disapproving of Shakespeare, Marlowe, and the King's Men, only if for vain jealousy. As a consequence, Elsa rarely had the opportunity to indulge in her Shakespearean whims.

She plowed through the monologue and became more and more enthusiastic with each line, spinning around the stage and increasing in volume until she was almost shouting the words with the profoundest joy.

"I_f I were a woman I would kiss as many of you as had beards that pleased me, complexions that liked me, and breaths that I defied not; and, I am sure, as many as have good beards, or good faces, or sweet breaths, will, for my kind offer, when I make curtsy, bid me farewell._"

True to form, she did indeed curtsy. Her investment in her private performance barred her from seeing or hearing the door open and the woman step in. Only when the first claps echoed around the empty space, did Elsa, with back bent and face turned to the floor, look around in abject surprise at her unexpected audience.

"Do forgive me," said Lady Anna upon witnessing Elsa's startled expression. "I am afraid that I could not resist a visit before the show; it is pathetic, I am well aware. Restrained judgment would be kind."

"Of course," Elsa said, unable to dislocate herself from the place in which she was stationed. Blue eyes followed the Lady as she walked slowly closer, fingers of one hand absentmindedly fiddling with a ring on the opposite hand.

"What was that you were reciting?"

"Shakespeare, my Lady. A favored monologue of mine from his comedy _As You Like It._"

"I have seen one Shakespeare - _Romeo and Juliet_ I believe if was? My husband did not think it a remarkable, prudent, or accurate play whatsoever. I did not know what to think at first, but I grew rather more fond the longer it preyed on my mind."

Elsa nodded absently as the Lady spoke, not having seen the aforementioned play. Another comedy perhaps? The woman's countenance did not disclose any such information, and Elsa decided to remain silent rather than expose her own ignorance. There was a clatter as the ring with which the Lady tampered dropped to the floor and rolled a few yards away from its owner. Elsa dashed to her aid, hopping down from the stage and bending to gather the object before the Lady herself could react. The ring sat stoically in Elsa's palm as she walked it over to its possessor; it was plain and silver, not something Elsa would have thought belonged to a wife of a member of the Court. On the contrary, it belied little grace.

"My sincerest thanks," said Lady Anna, reaching out to pluck the silver ring from Elsa's palm and slipping it back onto her slender finger. "It means a great deal to me, though I know it does not look of much importance."

Before Elsa could reply in the negative, a bellow rose up from the backstage area; Sven must have just woken up.

"You should depart before my manager-"

"My apologies!" The woman was alarmed and hastened to lift her broad skirts and make for the exit.

"Will I still see you tonight?" Elsa couldn't help but to ask.

"Oh yes," said the Lady, flashing Elsa a reassuring smile. Elsa smiled back and closed the door quietly behind the woman once her dress was clear of it.

Once the "trespasser" was safely out of the theatre, Elsa went to the backstage area from where yelling was still emanating. Kristoff and other members of the troupe had arrived for their calls and Elsa discerned from the shouts that they had woken their manager with an unprecedented amount of force. The natural consequence was Sven's rage.

"How are you feeling?" Elsa asked Kristoff timidly under her breath. He was clutching his head, which Elsa was sure didn't feel any less pained than her own, and Sven's noise was not helping. He only grimaced at her and moved away to begin dressing.

Within the hour, Elsa was once more fitted into her cumbersome wooden Ox costume and was pacing bulkily around backstage while attempting to quietly warm up her bray. For the first time in the play's run, she wanted the show to go perfectly, trivial Ox exit included. Under usual circumstances the rumbling from the crowd presently filing into the house would be giving her anxiety in preparation for the hate they would likely display, but tonight the jitters were formulating excitement.

Kristoff was peering through the crack of the curtain, skin tinged with a verdigris that Elsa couldn't decide came from the shakes or anticipation for the show. Perhaps both. Five minutes until curtain, Sven gathered up his troupe to make his usual pre-show speech. Beady eyes glanced at the thespians amassed around him as the audience rumbled in the background. The talk was mercifully short:

"We've performed for the king, we can do anything." He stomped on the last word to punctuate his point.

Elsa's eyebrows shot up skeptically and disappeared into her fringe but Sven could not see, hidden as her face was in the Ox mask. Kristoff shifted uncomfortably and a few of the other actors rolled their eyes at each other. Sven always acted as though he were leading an army instead of a group of people who dressed up in costumes and makeup to pretend every night.

"All right men! And woman," Sven added graciously to Elsa. "Onward!"

A hush fell over the crowd as Kristoff stepped boldly onstage to begin - Elsa watched from behind as he puffed out his chest and wiped his brow before throwing open the curtain and striding confidently forward.

"_Thou art he whom morality and vicissitudes bespeak in temperate carnage the sentience of a herdsman and his companion, the formidable Ox_."

Her entrance, as written, was not special in any sense of the word, but she appeared from the depths of the curtain with as much relish as she could muster under the heavy costume. One of the horns protruding from the top of her head struck the doorframe on her way out and she stumbled to mild jeering from the pit of spectators below. She reached up with her hoof-covered hands to correct the lopsided mask and accidentally made eye-contact with an audience member - a man with auburn locks, long sideburns, and a malicious gleam in his eye. Shaking herself of her mistake and hoping this spectator was not in possession of any rotten fruit, she straightened and sauntered over to Kristoff as he continued the opening monologue, dutifully unfazed by his fellow actor's slight trip-up.

Kristoff went on and on, and all Elsa was required to do was stand at his shoulder and act like an ox (an occupation that included swaying one's head to and fro and appearing generally dumb). But unlike most nights, she was peering through the cracks in her costume, attempting to spot Lady Anna somewhere in the gallery - but the effort was fruitless as it was too dark in the balcony to discern much.

Two thirds of the way through Kristoff's first monologue found the pit already restless; the usual amount of time had passed for the disinterest in the terribly-written play. The crowd in the pit was beginning to sneer under their breaths, but Elsa knew it wouldn't be long before they were shouting malice at the pair assembled onstage. Under normal circumstances this would be cause for Elsa's shame, but knowing Lady Anna was in attendance provoked absolute mortification.

"Put on a muzzle, you clown!" Elsa heard the side-burned man shout before raising a fist in which was tightly clenched a cabbage. That was when she snapped. Dropping to her hands and knees but keeping in character, she lowered her head and reared at the man, thrusting her fake horns at his face. He gave a shriek and stumbled backwards away from her assault. Silence fell at this - even Kristoff had halted mid-sentence. Another good thrust from her horns and the man turned tail and disappeared into the crowd. Satisfied, Elsa rose back to her feet and gestured for Kristoff to continue, which elicited a smattering of chuckles from the audience, especially the gallery. Her chest swelled with pride.

There were no more interruptions while Kristoff concluded his monologue and they even applauded lightly when he was finished and had ambled off. Elsa's big moment had come - she stepped centerstage and filled her lungs with air, ready to release her moment-shattering bray. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she saw a figure climb onto the stage from the pit. Abandoning her bit, she spun to face the offending wall-breaker and saw it was the same man with the cabbage, but his hand was now wrapped around one of the lighted candles meant to illuminate the acting space.

"Dry up, stupid donkey!" With that, he threw the lamp at Elsa, whose hard-surfaced costume caused the glass housing to burst and the flame inside to spread, eating rapidly at the wooden casing around the helpless actor. Smoke immediately filled her mouth and nose, gagging and causing her to panic. Shouts had risen about her but she was deaf to them, only preoccupied with the fire that was quickly consuming the wood around her. Sweat was pouring down her face from the heat and she was dizzy from lack of clean air.

She had managed to throw off the hoof gloves and was groping at the straps to her mask when an unprecedented force bowled into her and she fell heavily onto her side. Then, her mask was ripped from her head and she heard a thump as it was tossed away. Coughing and choking, she opened her eyes and met Kristoff's terrified face - he had pulled off her mask. There were hands on her, tearing the burning costume apart, but they weren't Kristoff's - his were on her cheeks, and he was asking over and over if she was hurt. She shook her head, still coughing, and looked down at herself. Bare, freckled hands were ripping at the straps all down her body and when each piece of hot wood was released it was then flung unceremoniously over a ruffled shoulder.

When she was free from the costume, Elsa was pulled onto her feet by Kristoff's large hands under her arms and she realized for the first time that the smoke was not only coming from the remains of her costume, but that fires had broken out all over the theatre from other toppled lamps. The audience was in a frenzy as they clambered to the exit, screaming in hysteria.

"We have to get out of here!" Kristoff shouted unnecessarily into Elsa's ear as he supported her straight into the chaos of the pit - the backstage area had gone up in flames. A slender and blackened hand caught hers - it had a plain silver ring on and when Elsa followed it up to its owner she found herself staring into Lady Anna's concerned eyes. The Lady said nothing, but pursed her lips at Elsa before tugging on her hand, encouraging movement.

Despite the confusion, they were soon out of the burning building and panting on the cobblestones a safe distance away. Kristoff watched the flames climb into the evening sky in disbelief and it was at this time when Elsa noticed that the regal Lady Anna was clad only in a bodice and petticoat; her skirts were ostentatiously missing. At this realization, Elsa averted her gaze, cheeks burning red.

Lady Anna saw this reaction and laughed. "How else could you expect me to extinguish the fire on your back?"

"You? How did you-"

"My husband will be mortified, but I have always been a bit of a loose spirit - I witnessed the happenings and promptly leaped from our box - it was right over the stage, you know - it was incredibly unladylike of me, but I you could not expect me to leave you to burn!" The Lady spoke quickly and with a giddy undertone, as though the excitement enticed rather than scared her. "I whipped off my skirts to pat the flames but knocked you down on accident."

Elsa stuttered out a thanks and marveled at the Lady once more until her husband, straight-backed and sporting a graying and pointed goatee came to collect her. By this time, Sven and the rest of the troupe had found them and were staring disbelieving at the smoldering theatre with Kristoff. Instead of going with her husband quietly, and still half-dressed in public, Lady Anna approached Sven, whose tears were running silently down his face. Within minutes, however, a huge smile had replaced all evidence of misery and Sven was shaking the Lady's hand ruthlessly. Lady Anna had offered a small chunk of her husband's vast fortune to rebuild the theatre "so that you may continue to produce first-rate shows and I may continue to attend!"

The fire was a blessing in disguise - the culprit who began it was apprehended and thanks to Lady Anna they were to build an entirely new place to produce plays - on top of it all, the Lady herself had written a few plays and Sven assured her his troupe would indeed produce them (for they could never be as terrible as what they'd already done). Lady Anna even confided to Elsa that she would petition to give the actor more lead roles - she had been extremely impressed by the recitation of Shakespeare that afternoon. It was true; Lady Anna was a saint and the future was bright.

* * *

_A/N: I forgot to mention that I'm a theatre minor. Can you tell?_


End file.
